newswatcher
11th Oct 2000, 13:28
STANSTED claimed entry to the premier league of European airports yesterday by announcing the launch of scheduled long-haul services.
Continental Airlines, the American carrier, will operate a daily flight to its base at New York Newark, where it supplies connections to 165 destinations in the United States, Canada and Latin America.
For Stansted, where passenger numbers have doubled to 11 million during the past three years, the development is another milestone in its effort to overtake Gatwick as Britain's second gateway for passengers on scheduled flights.
The Essex airport's scheduled total exceeded Manchester's for the first time last year. Though it remains about eight million behind Gatwick, its potential for long-term growth is greater, partly because it is more likely to accommodate an additional runway.
Stansted's popularity with travellers from north-east London and East Anglia has drawn in nearly 30 airlines, including established European flag carriers as well as low-cost operators such as Ryanair, Go and Buzz.
The airport now offers flights to 91 European destinations, a network that is likely to prove attractive to more long-haul airlines as peak-time runway slots at Heathrow and Gatwick dry up.
Continental Airlines, the American carrier, will operate a daily flight to its base at New York Newark, where it supplies connections to 165 destinations in the United States, Canada and Latin America.
For Stansted, where passenger numbers have doubled to 11 million during the past three years, the development is another milestone in its effort to overtake Gatwick as Britain's second gateway for passengers on scheduled flights.
The Essex airport's scheduled total exceeded Manchester's for the first time last year. Though it remains about eight million behind Gatwick, its potential for long-term growth is greater, partly because it is more likely to accommodate an additional runway.
Stansted's popularity with travellers from north-east London and East Anglia has drawn in nearly 30 airlines, including established European flag carriers as well as low-cost operators such as Ryanair, Go and Buzz.
The airport now offers flights to 91 European destinations, a network that is likely to prove attractive to more long-haul airlines as peak-time runway slots at Heathrow and Gatwick dry up.