Mr. Monteasked the Secretary of State for Trade if, from the information available to him, he can state the average number of flights into and out of Stansted airport, compared with its theoretical capacity, the number of passengers using the airport compared with its theoretical capacity and the current profit or loss sustained by the British Airports Authority 114W in operating that airport; and if he will take this information into account when considering the need for a third London airport.
§ Mr. TebbitAircraft movements at Stansted interact with those at Luton and the capacity of each runway cannot therefore be assessed independently. Taken together, the two airports can handle about 120,000 air transport movements per year. Stansted has a terminal capacity of about 1 million passengers a year. In 1978, Stansted handled about 4,400 air transport movements and 317,000 terminal passengers. The airport made a trading loss of £1.4 million in 1978–79. I will take account of all relevant information in considering the need for a third London airport.