STANSTED - 2

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Stansted 'determined to add more international routes'

31.03.07
Stansted is close to announcing new flights to India and China, the Business newspaper reports. The airport is also aggressively targeting new routes to Europe.
The airport, which already serves a little over 160 European destinations, is actively engaged in wooing Asian airlines to operate services from Stansted. New newspaper, plus local press reports in India, suggest that Kingfisher Airlines is one Indian carrier that is pursuing talks with Stansted's business development authorities.

The Business quotes Nick Barton, business development and planning director for the airport, as saying: 'We are very encouraged by progress in our advanced talks with Chinese and Indian airlines. These things don't convert overnight but we are well aware of demand in these tiger economies and are moving as fast as we can.'
'We are aware that we have slots we can fill for incoming aircraft form Asia and the far east in quiet times and can therefore comfortably accommodate flights from India, China, Malaysia and Dubai among other areas. Four major carriers from Asia are talking to us but they have to get their fleets right.'

The airport is also seeking saturation coverage of 200 European hubs in the next few years. Mr Barton told the newspaper Paris and Madrid would be among the omissions to be corrected.

He added: 'If we hit our target of 200 European destinations it's hard to imagine that we will have missed anywhere important. We are aware of the markets the business community wants to access from Stansted and are in very active and advanced discussions to fill all the voids.'