London Stansted has sent us this unique drone footage showing how the airport is managing the challenge of finding parking spaces for almost 100 aircraft which have been grounded following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The reduced operation at what is usually the UK’s fourth busiest airport meant an Essex Police drone, based at Stansted, was able to safely launch and capture the bird’s-eye view of the airfield at a time which would normally be the peak of the flying day.
The scene shows eerily quiet parking aprons, taxiways and runways at this usually busy airport, with rows of parked airliners – mostly from the easyJet and Ryanair fleets.
Here’s the video:
London Stansted’s Operations Director, Nick Millar, said:
“This is a challenging time for the whole country and the aviation sector is no different. We have been working hard with our airlines to find space for them to park their planes which would otherwise be flying around the world, given the majority of them have taken the decision to suspend most of their operations for the time being.
“Usually at this time of year we’d see more than 500 flights a day, but this unprecedented situation means we are faced with a different challenge of ensuring there is space for these aircraft on the ground and that airlines can continue to maintain them. This is alongside the cargo operation which continues to bring in essential items like food and pharmaceuticals from around the globe.
“The whole team at the airport have been working hard to adjust our operations to reflect the significant change in demand, while ensuring that London Stansted is ready to return to normal as quickly as possible and play its part in supporting the UK’s recovery once restrictions are lifted.”
