Navigating Stansted: Understanding The Airport's Gate Layout

London Stansted Airport is located in Essex, 42 miles northeast of Central London. It is a busy airport, serving as a base for several low-cost airlines, including Ryanair, and handling over 27 million passengers annually. The airport has a unique design, with all facilities located on a single level. Interestingly, there is only one terminal building, but the gates are situated in three separate satellite buildings, which are well-signposted and easily accessible. Passengers can reach the gates by using the Stansted Airport Track Transit System, a fully automated and free people mover system. However, this system is planned to be decommissioned in 2026 as part of the airport's expansion project, and passengers will then use pedestrian bridges to access the gates.

Gates are located in three separate buildings

London Stansted Airport has gates located in three separate buildings, or "satellites", detached from the main terminal. The main terminal building, which contains check-in, security, and departure areas, is well-organised and easy to navigate. It was designed by Foster and Partners and is regarded as influential for airport architecture.

The Stansted Airport Track Transit System (TTS) is a free, automated people mover system that conveys travellers between the main terminal and the departure/arrival gates in satellites 1 and 2. The TTS is accessible only to passengers who have passed through airport security. It has three stations: Terminal (for arrivals and departures), Gates 1–19 (Satellite 1), and Gates 20–39 (Satellite 2). Satellite 3, which contains Gates 40–59, is not served by the TTS; instead, passengers can access it via a pedestrian footway from the main terminal. The TTS is planned to be decommissioned and partially demolished in the spring of 2026 and replaced with pedestrian bridges.

Gates 90–93 are located down the escalators to the right of where passengers board the shuttle train to Satellites 1 and 2. This area has been designated as the airport's quiet area, free of shops and restaurants.

Stansted Airport Transit System

Stansted Airport has a single terminal building, which opened in 1991. The terminal is divided into three areas: Check-in and the main concourse, departures, and international arrivals. The gates are located in three separate buildings, Satellites 1, 2, and 3, which are detached from the main terminal.

The Stansted Airport Transit System (TTS) is a fully automated people mover system that connects the main terminal with Satellites 1 and 2. The transit system is free of charge and can be accessed by passengers who have passed through airport security. It has three stations: Terminal (arrivals and departures), Gates 1-19 (Satellite 1), and Gates 20-39 (Satellite 2). Satellite 3 is not served by the transit system and can be reached via a pedestrian footway. The transit system has been in operation since 1991 and was extended in 1998 to serve Satellite 2.

The transit system has various issues related to its age and operational limitations. It was originally designed in the 1980s with an intended lifespan of 20-25 years. The system has become a cause of bottlenecks at border control and the manufacturer no longer provides support for its components. Due to these reasons, the Stansted TTS is planned to be decommissioned and partially demolished in the spring of 2026, and replaced with pedestrian bridges.

Check-in, security, and departure gates are located in the departures area

London Stansted Airport is a single-terminal airport, making it very easy to navigate. The check-in desks, security, and departure gates are all located in the departures area, while the arrivals area includes baggage claim, customs, and other facilities for passengers arriving at the airport.

The check-in desks will open 3 hours before departure, and the check-in desk will close 40 minutes before departure. If you have hold baggage to check in, you can use the bag-drop kiosks. There is no separate queue for online check-in; all customers with luggage to drop off should join a single queue.

Security fast-track can be purchased online from the Stansted Airport website and costs £8 per person. It is recommended that you allow two and a half hours for all flights.

The gates at Stansted are located in three separate buildings, which are well-signposted and easy to get to. If your flight is departing from gates 1–39, you will need to take a short shuttle ride. There are two stops on the service: stop one is for gates 1–19 and is a three-minute journey, and stop two is for gates 20–39 and is a two-minute journey. All other gates are approximately a ten-minute walk away in either direction of the shuttle train stop, except for gates 90–93, which are just down the escalators to the right of where you board the shuttle.

Stansted Airport also has an automated people mover system, the Stansted Track Transit System (TTS), which conveys air travellers between the main airport terminal and the departure/arrival gates in satellite buildings 1 and 2. The TTS is planned to be decommissioned and partially demolished in the spring of 2026 and replaced with pedestrian bridges.

The main terminal has shops, restaurants, and currency exchange services

London Stansted Airport is a single-terminal airport, with a single-level passenger terminal building. The main terminal has a range of facilities, including shops, restaurants, and currency exchange services.

The terminal is well-organised, with designated areas for departures and arrivals. The check-in desks, security, and departure gates are located in the departures area, while the arrivals area includes baggage claim, customs, and other facilities for passengers arriving at the airport.

The main terminal has a variety of shops, including well-known brands such as Boots and Accessorize, as well as designer labels such as Hugo Boss, Fat Face, and Ted Baker. These shops offer a range of products, from last-minute airport gifts to designer items. The shops are generally open from 4 am to 10 pm, with some exceptions like World Duty Free, which caters to the entire flight schedule.

For dining options, the airport offers a diverse range of restaurants, cafes, and bars to suit different tastes and budgets. These include popular chains like Leon, Wetherspoon Express, and Pret a Manger, as well as options like Bottega – Prosecco Bar, Comptoir Libanais, and Itsu. The main terminal also has free drinkable water bottle refill stations located close to the bathrooms in both the arrivals and departures areas.

Additionally, currency exchange services are available at the main terminal, providing assistance with financial transactions and currency needs. These services are located past security in the airport's singular terminal, within the duty-free section.

Gates 1-39 are accessible via a shuttle ride

London Stansted Airport has 52 gates in total, located in three separate buildings. Gates 1-39 are accessible via a shuttle ride.

Shuttle Train to Gates 1-39

The shuttle train to Gates 1-39 is located in the main terminal building. Follow the signs to 'All Gates' and you'll see the automatic doors from which to board the shuttle train. The shuttle train has two stops: the first is for Gates 1-19 and takes three minutes, and the second is for Gates 20-39 and takes two minutes.

Stansted Airport Transit System

The Stansted Airport Track Transit System (TTS) is a free, fully automated people mover system that conveys air travellers between the main airport terminal and the departure/arrival gates. The transit system is located "airside", meaning that only passengers who have passed through airport security can access it. The TTS has three stations: Terminal (arrivals and departures), Gates 1-19 (Satellite 1 arrivals and departures), and Gates 20-39 (Satellite 2 arrivals and departures). The TTS is planned to be decommissioned and partially demolished in the spring of 2026 and replaced with pedestrian bridges.

Frequently asked questions