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Transatlantic flights will be available from Stansted Airport within the year if plans unveiled by operator BAA get the go ahead. The company aims to increase the number of passengers using the airport each year from 25 million to 35 million by 2008 while increasing the number of air transport movements to 274,000 a year.Additional parking, hotel accommodation, aircraft stands and access roads are all included in the proposals.Plans to launch flights to China and the US within the year are also underway.The public will have their say on the future of the airport when a public exhibition tours 27 villages and towns during the next three months.BAA will then seek planning permission from Uttlesford District Council in 2006.Managing director of Stansted Airport, Terry Morgan, said: "We are very keen to hear what people think of the airport and we are really committed to ensuring that people have the maximum opportunity to express their opinions."We hope Uttlesford District Council will be in a position to grant us planning permission for the best use of the existing runway separately from any consideration on the second runway."Airport directors said mixed opinions were expressed at a meeting on July 27 with parish, district and county councillors and members of neighbouring communities.Leader of Uttlesford District Council, Mark Gayler, said: "While it is difficult to keep the two issues apart we will consider this expansion in its own right."He said the district council could carry out its own consultation exercise in addition to BAA's.Cllr Gayler said: "In the past the airport has done some consultations with rather leading questions."We want to make sure this is open and the people have the opportunity to air their views and we hope the airport will listen."The main opposition group to a second runway, Stop Stansted Expansion, said BAA's consultation plan lacked sufficient detail and called for greater transparency.Brian Ross, economics advisor for the campaign, said: "We had expected an awful lot more. There is nothing in these documents that we didn't already know."We are not anti airport, but it is only two and a half years ago since BAA got a 25 million limit which they said would last until 2010. Now they want 35 million and in two and a half years time they'll want 40 million."They won't put their cards on the table and say this is the full master plan for the next 10 years."
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