Mr Point (what an inappropriate name as in this case, you make no valid point) and others.
Instead of ranting on about what is undoubtedly a p**s poor show by someone at Stansted, why don't you get your facts correct and aim your frustrations at the correct miscreant instead of shooting from the hip and getting the wrong person.
You have had replies on here from people who are in the know about how things happen - i.e. ATCOs, (not including chris kebab, as reading his first post, he does not seem to understand civil ATC operations).
ATCOs at Stansted etc are there to provide a service - they do so within the rules laid down by the operating authority i.e. BAA in this instance. If an A/C wishes to arrive outside normal operating hours, permission MUST always be received from the Airfield Operating Authorities beforehand.
This FACT Mr Point, includes scheduled commercial A/C that for whatever reason are running late. There have been many passenger A/C diverted from destination because they could not land before the end of operating hours.
As someone rightly mentioned earlier, most civvies with no military background would not understand what a Comp A flight was. In the scheme of things and with regards to flight priority, a Comp A flight has no special status. Thats the black and white answer, though if it was made clear at the time what the implication was, most ATCOs (not including the complete to**er that Tigs2 has just written about), would move heaven and earth to get the flight in.... however, they cannot do this if:
a) they do not know the flight is Comp A (and they do not understand what it means)
b) the airport operating authority does not allow dispensation for the A/C to land.
So to the facts of the example from the thread - were ATC informed it was a Comp A flight and was it explained what this meant?
Unless an A/C is in an emergency, it is very difficult to get an out of hours landing nowadays, mainly because of the left wing NIMBYs. This is particularly relevant at Stansted with all the protests regarding expansion. The operating authorities i.e. the owners are not going to do anything that is going to further alienate them from th elocals.
The best way to prevent a repeat of this farce, is to have a set procedure for notification and handling of Comp A flights that require the use of civilian airfields. Only then will they get the treatment and handling they deserve