What flights used Stansted before Ryanair

[Mojo]

I arrived at one of the satellite terminals at Stansted this weekend. Whilst the departures area of that satellite has been recently modernised and refurbished, the arrivals area is a bit of a time warp, with carpet in many public areas and 1990s BAA signage still in place.

One thing that interested me was signage for flight connections. Now these days, Stansted doesn’t have connections as such, but it got me thinking, back in 1991 when the terminal opened, EasyJet hadn’t even been created and Ryanair was still a relatively small airline.

Obviously Stansted has been expanded slightly since then, and carries a multitude more number of customers, but what kind of flights would have used the airport that would have offered or warranted connections?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Air Transat used to run TriStar flights from there to Canada...

 

[d9009alycidon]

I flew home to Glasgow from Brussels via Stansted in the 1980s, I'm sure it was Air UK I flew with.

Edit adding from Wikipedia, "In 1988 Air UK shifted its headquarters to London Stansted Airport. When Stansted's new Norman Foster-designed terminal opened in 1991, the airline became its first and subsequently main tenant."

 

[gingerheid]

In the more recent history EasyJet and Go were bigger airlines there.

Before that AB Airlines started there (before Gatwick become more important to it) and American Airlines briefly served it.

As mentionedI think Air UK were main the late 80s / early 90s airline.

 

[Magdalia]

One thing that interested me was signage for flight connections. Now these days, Stansted doesn’t have connections as such, but it got me thinking, back in 1991 when the terminal opened, EasyJet hadn’t even been created and Ryanair was still a relatively small airline.

Obviously Stansted has been expanded slightly since then, and carries a multitude more number of customers, but what kind of flights would have used the airport that would have offered or warranted connections?

I used Stansted a fair bit in the 1990s, but I don't recall it being used much for connections.

My first flight from Stansted in 1992 was a charter, that had originally been advertised as flying from Gatwick. I don't know the airline but the flight code began VF.

Ryanair were already flying Stansted-Dublin by 1995.

"In 1988 Air UK shifted its headquarters to London Stansted Airport. When Stansted's new Norman Foster-designed terminal opened in 1991, the airline became its first and subsequently main tenant."

I flew UK Air a few times, mainly on arrivals home into Stansted from work trips, having gone out from Gatwick or Heathrow. The one time that I tried to use UK Air at Stansted for an outward trip it was an evening flight that was cancelled. The other passengers gave me the impression that this was a frequent occurrence, so I didn't do it again.

 

[Pugwash]

I flew with Air UK for connecting flight in Amsterdam using the old terminal at Stansted on an old Fokker 27 !,

The designers of the current Stansted Terminal had no idea that the low costs airlines would expand so much and Stansted was planned as another full service airport, they would have expected connections to happen probably expecting flights from the U.S. with onward connections to Europe.

 

[jfollows]

I used Stansted a fair bit in the 1990s, but I don't recall it being used much for connections.

My first flight from Stansted in 1992 was a charter, that had originally been advertised as flying from Gatwick. I don't know the airline but the flight code began VF.

VF might be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AJet, a Turkish low-cost airline which flew to Stansted.

But 1992 probably too soon.

 

[WestCoast]

In the more recent history EasyJet and Go were bigger airlines there.

Before that AB Airlines started there (before Gatwick become more important to it) and American Airlines briefly served it.

As mentionedI think Air UK were main the late 80s / early 90s airline.

Not forgetting that Air UK became KLM UK and it set up Buzz to compete against Ryanair / Go / easyJet in 1999, later bought out by Ryanair while GO was purchased by easyJet from BA.

Since mojo asked about connections that was also used slightly more recently! Air Berlin who were a “full service low cost airline” also operated a sort of connecting hub at Stansted in the 00s. I recall flying Manchester - Stansted - Düsseldorf, that was an interesting operation.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Lots of charter flights in the 90s which were big before the LLCs.
Airtours, Thomas Cook, first choice, monarch, Thomson and the like.
Zoom flew a few flights before bankruptcy.
AA tried some seasonal flights.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Sky or Sky Europe? Something like that. Belgian airline that went into receivership, I think, c 2000?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I recall flying Manchester - Stansted...

Did that once, I think with BA, must have been in the early 2000s when the WCML was shut for engineering work.

 

[rcsn319]

VF might be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AJet, a Turkish low-cost airline which flew to Stansted.

But 1992 probably too soon.

Definitely won’t be Ajet as they only started using VF as their IATA code less than 3 months ago.

 

[KT550]

I used Stansted a fair bit in the 1990s, but I don't recall it being used much for connections.

My first flight from Stansted in 1992 was a charter, that had originally been advertised as flying from Gatwick. I don't know the airline but the flight code began VF.

IATA code VF was British Air Ferries at that time.

 

[Titfield]

I used Stansted a fair bit in the 1990s, but I don't recall it being used much for connections.

My first flight from Stansted in 1992 was a charter, that had originally been advertised as flying from Gatwick. I don't know the airline but the flight code began VF.

Ryanair were already flying Stansted-Dublin by 1995.


I flew UK Air a few times, mainly on arrivals home into Stansted from work trips, having gone out from Gatwick or Heathrow. The one time that I tried to use UK Air at Stansted for an outward trip it was an evening flight that was cancelled. The other passengers gave me the impression that this was a frequent occurrence, so I didn't do it again.

Air UK / KLM uk had quite a large network (for the time) from STN including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guernsey (summer only), Jersey, Paris, Nice, Madrid, Florence, Milan, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels. They operated Fokker F27, 50, 100 and Bae 146 aircraft. The F27s were replaced by the F50s and then some ATR 72s.

 

[Magdalia]

IATA code VF was British Air Ferries at that time.

Thanks, I've made a note of that!

 

[Hornet]

Flew into Stansted with Aer Lingus (pre-Ryanair), and can remember glorified prefabs and a bus link to Bishop's Stortford. Would have been mid 80's.

 

[Titfield]

Flew into Stansted with Aer Lingus (pre-Ryanair), and can remember glorified prefabs and a bus link to Bishop's Stortford. Would have been mid 80's.

Yes that was the old terminal building. The rail service came with the new terminal.

 

[WestCoast]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how frequently the Stansted Express ran in the early days with much lower airport passenger numbers?

 

[BrianW]

Thinking about the 'Flight Connections' referred to in the original post. How many passengers today are just 'passing through' from an incoming to an outgoing flights? Britain has been keen to facilitate such connections at so-called 'hubs'- does UK plc actually derive (economic) benefit from this? Is that sign valid, if it ever was? Just askin' ...

 

[Titfield]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how frequently the Stansted Express ran in the early days with much lower airport passenger numbers?

I think it was every 30 minutes but thats a bit fuzzy. The name changed IIRC from Stansted Express to Stansted Skytrain back to Stansted Express. I dont really remember the first incarnation though.

 

[rcsn319]

How many passengers today are just 'passing through' from an incoming to an outgoing flights? Britain has been keen to facilitate such connections at so-called 'hubs'- does UK plc actually derive (economic) benefit from this? Is that sign valid, if it ever was? Just askin' ...

there’s a fair few “self transfers” but no official same booking connections, and no dedicated transfer area.

 

[jfollows]

I think it was every 30 minutes but thats a bit fuzzy. The name changed IIRC from Stansted Express to Stansted Skytrain back to Stansted Express. I dont really remember the first incarnation though.

The Network Rail timetable archive goes back to 1994 - https://history.networkrail.co.uk/uncategorized/IO_6528917d-3c38-49cb-972e-73411a142667/, timetable LB for May 1994 - and shows a service every 30 minutes at xx.00 and xx.30 from Liverpool Street, calling at Tottenham Hale and - the xx.00 departure only - Bishops Stortford. The one-stopper took 41 minutes, the two-stopper took 42 minutes.
Up workings left Stansted Airport similarly at xx.00 and xx.30, with the xx.30 calling at Bishops Stortford, both services calling at Tottenham Hale.

Now it appears that there are four trains an hour, they stop more and take longer (around 50 minutes).

 

[edwin_m]

Thinking about the 'Flight Connections' referred to in the original post. How many passengers today are just 'passing through' from an incoming to an outgoing flights? Britain has been keen to facilitate such connections at so-called 'hubs'- does UK plc actually derive (economic) benefit from this? Is that sign valid, if it ever was? Just askin' ...

The idea is that by hosting a hub airport, we get more people using it, therefore more choice of flights and destinations than we would if the airport only catered for journeys starting or finishing in its landside catchment. But that has never really applied to Stansted.

 

[Bald Rick]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how frequently the Stansted Express ran in the early days with much lower airport passenger numbers?

Half hourly for the first few years. And with nothing much else on the West Anglia, they had a clear run the whole way.

I flew Brittania from Stansted in the 90s, bucket and spade job (more accurately San Miguel and sunglasses). But that was from the then recently opened new terminal.

 

[Airline Man]

VF might be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AJet, a Turkish low-cost airline which flew to Stansted.

But 1992 probably too soon.

VF was British Air Ferries or later known as British World Airlines. They went bust in 2001. They were mostly charter but did some scheduled services towards the end, including a Stansted - Bucharest service. The ‘VF‘ code stood for ‘Vehicle Ferry’ as they used to run car ferry services over to the continent on Carvairs.

They were the first airline I worked for at Southend.

 

[317 forever]

In the more recent history EasyJet and Go were bigger airlines there.

Before that AB Airlines started there (before Gatwick become more important to it) and American Airlines briefly served it.

As mentionedI think Air UK were main the late 80s / early 90s airline.

I think before EasyJet took over Go, it was just Go there.

EasyJey only reached Stansted through taking over Go.

 

[Airline Man]

American Airlines ran a short lived Stansted - Chicago service in the 90’s (I think). I think Emirates have a service there now.

 

[Cloud Strife]

One thing that interested me was signage for flight connections.

Yes, those signs amuse me every time I land there. It's actually surprising that Stansted has never set up a good system for connections, especially for those arriving on late night flights and departing on early morning flights. I'm always surprised that there isn't more pressure from the likes of Wetherspoons to keep the departures lounge open 24/7, as I suspect they'd do a roaring trade.

I've actually made a very unauthorised connection once in Stansted overnight in the departures lounge: I arrived in the evening about 21:30 and was departing the next morning on almost the first flight. The departure lounge is closed between 23:00 and 03:00 and you can't access it on the day before. My trick was to buy a very cheap flight to Dublin for that evening, which gave me access to the departures lounge. It was then simple enough to go airside and to wait in the prayer room without being bothered by anyone.

It's a bit OT, but Stansted really is a disgrace if you're waiting for an early morning flight, especially as the last train departs Liverpool Street at 23:25.

 

[route101]

American Airlines ran a short lived Stansted - Chicago service in the 90’s (I think). I think Emirates have a service there now.

I was at Stansted yesterday and the Emirates was on stand. One of the few full service carriers at STN though I did see a Royal Jordanian A320 too.
I believe Continental served STN to EWR in the early 2000s.

 

[Spamcan81]

Flew with Air Belfast back in the 90s. BAC 1-11 so classic jet haulage.