London Stansted Airport record total of 24.3 million making Stansted the fourth busiest airport in the United Kingdom. Stansted also is a major freight airport, the third busiest in the UK during 2016, behind London Heathrow and East Midlands Airport, handling in excess of 223,203 tonnes per annum, although freight throughput has declined slightly from its 2005 peak level. Passenger numbers for the year to September 2016 increased by 8.4% to over 24 million for the first time since 2007. The Stansted Airport Transit System connects the terminal to the satellite buildings via a free automated people mover service which runs on dual
London Southend Airport in the surrounding countryside. Canewdon, north-east of the airport, was the location of one of the World War II Chain Home radar stations. The high transmitter tower at Canewdon was relocated to the Marconi works at Great Baddow in the 1950s. In 1993, after the airport had been making losses for many years, Southend Borough Council sold the airport to Regional Airports Ltd (RAL), operator of Biggin Hill Airport. London Southend Airport Co Ltd was formed to operate the airport which was re-branded as "London Southend Airport" with the term "Municipal" dropping from the title. The previous losses were turned