The obvious reflection on the numbers is that a cargo network can add something at least to the business in what is becoming overall an even more parlous situation for all airports.

Overnight Terminal Closure
 

Overnight terminal closure will be extended till April 12th now instead of March 28th. The chance of this being extended again is also likely with management stating this could be as late as May 13th but no later than this date.

What’s the purpose of the night closures? Is it just due to the reduced traffic? Or are they using it to work on the terminal redevelopment?

Minimises costs, especially considering as a whole loads are fairly light. Gatwick for example generally has a similar number of flights, sometimes more sometimes less, but ends up staying open longer for the odd arrival or departure.

I thought the overnight closures had started pre covid?

Terminal closure is to reduce cost. There's certainly no visible Terminal transformation works going ahead for the foreseeable other than the baggage upgrade and enhanced cleaning. I imagine the terminal will stay closed as long as it's possible to consolidate schedules into those hours. Just domestic gates being used too so as for Satellite 1 and 2 international gates I guess that could be peak summer if at all.

pamann

The overnight closure is due to reduced flight operations. Though I know Ryanair would operate more flights if the terminal was open all night but that’s my opinion. Also it gives MAG the benefit of having minimal staff numbers in so meaning they can furlough a majority of the workforce and save money for the meantime.
MAG have had a ban on all new construction work at Stansted since around May last year any project that continued where ones that where already payed for. Such as the new HBS (Hold Baggage System) which has just been completed 2 months ahead of schedule.
The overnight closure began around end of March/early April last year can’t remember exact dates. But the terminal has reopened over night since then but during each lockdown MAG made the decision to close overnight each time.

A Stansted question, though about airlines and their movements. Over the last few days I've noted perhaps 30 or more test flights of both Ryanair and Jet2 that power up, taxi, takeoff, do a circuit of no more than 10mins, land and power down again. These are obviously test flights, but bearing in mind that they are so many, all with different aircraft it piqued my curiosity as to why. Are they just being cycled through to keep them in airworthy condition bearing in mind the UK winter climate, or something else ?

I think for the 737, if it's parked for more than 30 days you have to move to a more thorough storage regime - inhibitors and that sort of thing, so that's the reason for the regular short flights.

Appear to be referred to as "preservation flights" both as stated above & keeping crews valid.

SWBKCB

On the 737 If parked for less than 14 days (used to be 7) = normal parking. Quick flight round the block and the timer resets again.

Over 14 and your into active storage = fair bit of maintenance required and scheduled maint at 10/14/30/60 day intervals but no flights req.

Thanks for the explanations, there must be quite a number of Ryanair 737's parked up at STN at the moment.

In normal time Stansted’s operational fleet is usually around the 40 mark. Where as currently parked up it’s possible closer to the 90 mark this includes Lauda planes to.

That's a lot of 737's !

Out of interest, do Airbus have the same 'parking/storage' parameters as Boeing ? I ask because EasyJet must have a load of A320 family aircraft at LGW/MAN etc and I don't think that I've seen many test flights to keep them in 'parked' status.

EZY have been doing circuits to keep the aircraft parked. During Lockdown 1 there were lots parked at STN and we’d see them fly over.

Ryanair had (have?) quite a number of Lauda A320’s stored at Stansted and I’ve seen one or two doing a maintenance circuit....

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....54785bbb7.jpeg

Appears the Loganair LDY service is set to continue the use of STN through to 2023.

Does anyone know what’s happening with UPS at STN? Seems their 747 service no longer does CGN - STN - HKG and rather direct to HKG.

also have heard that some UPS services will be stopped from the airport and transferred elsewhere? Any ideas which ones/ when?

The HKG flight stopped operating a while ago now. I heard it was due to initial crew shortage in Europe, but haven’t heard anything in a while. I know it always left extremely full most days.

I have never heard any rumours of UPS leaving Stansted. I find this very doubtful though. I know they also operate to EMA and EDI but I doubt they would want to truck all south of England freight from EMA though. Also I doubt they’d move to another London airport.

STN-HKG direct with the B748 not flown since the Hong Kong authorities imposed Covid restrictions on the country due discovery of the UK variant.

UPS fly mainly a B763 to CGN in the slot as a feeder replacement.

UPS transferred it`s original STN service back in the day to EMA but reinstated some time later probably due to market demand.