Stansted on-track for brighter future

Above: Progress is being made on Stansted’s on-site solar farm, which recently reached a major milestone with the installation of its 1,500th solar panel.
Courtesy MAG

The strategy focused on the airport’s commitment to continue reducing its carbon emissions, create more jobs and training opportunities, including inspiring the next generation of aviation professionals, as well as having a positive and lasting impact on the communities that surround the airport. 

Key achievements over the five-year period include: 

• Established target of transitioning to net zero carbon operations (scope one and two) by no later than 2038 
• Launch of Jet Zero curriculum to educate young people about Sustainable Aviation Fuel at the airport’s Aerozone educational facility 
• Planning permission secured and construction underway for 14.3MW on-site solar farm, the first of its kind at a London airport 
• More than £7.6 millions of new business generated for local small and medium sized companies at Stansted Meet the Buyers events 
• Donating more than £665,000 to local organisations through the Stansted Community Fund 

Working together for a brighter future is the strategy adopted across MAG – the UK’s largest group of airports that also owns Manchester and East Midlands. It has three pillars: Opportunity for all; Local voices and Zero carbon airports.

During the final year of the strategy, the airport began the rollout of high-speed electric vehicle charges across the airport as well as welcoming the 25,000th visitor to the Aerozone since it opened in 2015.

The airport celebrated 10 years of its successful school mentoring programme in 2025, a partnership with Forest Hall School in Stansted Mountfitchet, that helps give year 11 students the support, skills and confidence they need as they take their next steps and prepare for life after school.

London Stansted also supported more than 5,000 jobseekers through its Airport Academy that provides free help for anyone looking to begin, progress or change their career with the aviation sector.

Earlier this year the airport launched its new five-year Sustainability Strategy: Creating a sustainable future for all, which aims to continue to make progress on key targets and build on the strong foundations already in place to deliver the transition towards net zero carbon operations by 2038.

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said: “The past five years have seen the airport make excellent progress delivering a host of projects and initiatives against our three strategic priorities: Zero Carbon Airport, Opportunity for All and Local Voices. I’m very proud of our achievements, particularly in light of the unprecedented challenges we faced because of the pandemic.

“These positive developments include securing planning permission for our 14.3MW on-site solar farm, which in now well underway and when complete in spring next year will be the first of its kind at a London airport. Alongside this, our education and employment programmes supported more than 40,800 people, and we donated more than £665,000 to local causes through our Community Fund.

“During the final year of our Strategy, our hard work continued to deliver successful sustainability initiatives, including the installation of 10 new high-speed Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers for EV owners using the airport.

“We were also pleased to welcome the 25,000th visitor to our on-site Aerozone education facility since it opened in 2015 – demonstrating the scale of our positive impact on young people in our region.

“We want to grow the airport in the most sustainable and responsible way possible and have applied to increase our passenger limit to 51 million per year on our existing runway without operating any additional flights beyond those already approved. We recognise to achieve this goal our ambitious approach to sustainability must continue, so earlier this year we launched our new Sustainability Strategy: Creating a sustainable future for all.

“The new Strategy builds on a more than two decades long commitment to sustainability as our industry moves towards its net zero targets. It reaffirms our commitment to providing opportunities for education and employment, as well as ensuring the voices of those who live closest to our airports are heard, understood and valued.

“I would like to thank everyone at Stansted Airport for their continued hard work and commitment to deliver our sustainability programme and look forward to celebrating future achievements together.”

The full report is available as a pdf download, here.