Harrison: "MAG has made a significant investment in Stansted as the airport offers huge potential. Stansted is the only major airport in the south-east with space, permission and facilities to grow having gained planning consent to serve 35 million passengers a year in 2008."
Under new ownership and the leadership of Harrison (40), ambitious plans are being drawn up to build on London-Stansted’s past successes and excellent facilities. Andrew Harrison – who was appointed Managing Director of London-Stansted in March – is a man with serious drive, as his comprehensive experience within MAG attests. He initially joined Manchester Airport as Commercial Director in 2005 and led the £80 million (€94m) redevelopment of Terminals 1 and 2, the growth of the car park business through new products and distribution channels, and negotiations with key airlines, which included bringing the A380 to Manchester. Prior to his current role, he was Chief Operating Officer of Manchester Airports Group from April 2012, and before that was Managing Director of Manchester Airport – a position he had held since September 2010. His experience within MAG, combined with external experience gained from a previous nine-year career with Marks & Spencer in the UK, Europe and the Far East, makes him well-placed to drive Stansted’s development.
Harrison: “£40 million (€47m) will be invested over the next two years to improve retail and provide more ‘sparkle’, and to ensure that the terminal experience for passengers befits that of a world-class airport and offers good value to users."
London-Stansted is the fourth biggest airport in the UK, with annual passenger traffic of 17.4 million. It enhances the MAG portfolio, which also includes Manchester, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports. Harrison explained that the current strategy involves growing passenger numbers by attracting new airlines, increasing the range of destinations with existing customers and “adding some ‘sparkle’ to the award-winning terminal building to improve the passenger experience”. “London-Stansted is already established as a world leader at serving the low-cost airline sector, has a route network stretching to around 150 destinations and offers more direct scheduled European flights than any other airport in the UK. But the focus now is to broaden the route network, offer passengers more choice and create a richer mix of airlines operating out of Stansted, including long-haul carriers. Our overall aim is to make Stansted the best airport in London,” he said.
World-class airport experience
Andrew Harrison was appointed Managing Director of London-Stansted in March and is driving an ambitious strategy that includes investing £230 million (€270m) in the airport over the next five years.
As part of the merger under the enlarged MAG group, there are significant investment plans to develop and improve London-Stansted. MAG will invest £230 million (€270m) over the next five years, which will include upgrades to security, retail and car parking services. More retail space, and a better configuration in the departure lounge, will be created by reducing the landside check-in area, while the realigned security search area will speed-up the security process. “£40 million (€47m) will be invested over the next two years to improve retail and provide more ‘sparkle’, and to ensure that the terminal experience for passengers befits that of a world-class airport and offers good value to users,” explained Harrison. “We will also develop different car park options, such as meet & greet and low-cost options, as well as making Stansted easier to get to whether coming by train, by road, or parking at the airport.”
Additional key goals include incentivising airline growth at London-Stansted through MAG’s relationship with more than 80 existing airline partners at its other airports, and adding five million additional passengers at London-Stansted by 2018. “MAG has made a significant investment in Stansted as the airport offers huge potential. Stansted is the only major airport in the south-east with space, permission and facilities to grow having gained planning consent to serve 35 million passengers a year in 2008,” commented Harrison. “The airport is currently operating at half its available capacity, so a lot can be done to offer a broader range of airlines and routes and accommodate future growth, a vital ingredient in the capacity-constrained London airport system.”
London-Stansted is in a prime location, with a large catchment area that complements MAG’s existing portfolio of airports. Under new ownership and the progressive leadership of Harrison, it is recreating its identity, working to increase the range of destinations served, and enhancing the level of customer service to passengers. The already intense competition for London’s air travellers looks like it’s moving up another gear.
