Stansted Airport is set to become the second busiest airport in the UK by increasing its capacity to handle 10 million passengers per year.
In a request submitted to Uttlesford District Council, the airport has revealed the traffic growth will translate to an extra 11,000 flights each year.
The airport indicated it wants to raise the cap on the number of passengers from 35 million per year to around 44.5 million. It also wants to increase aircraft journey from the existing 274,000 to around 285,000.
Stansted’s plans, if implemented will see the airport become the second busiest after Heathrow, beating Gatwick whose figures stood at 43.1 passengers and 275,633 flights in 2016.
In its planning application, the airport will ask for clearance to enhance existing infrastructure, but will not include a second runway yet. The development will include two new links to the runway, six extra stands on the mid airfield and three more stands on the North Eastern side of the airport.
Stansted’s Planning Manager, Alistair Andrew said in a statement: "It should be noted that at this time no significant adverse environmental effects are predicted as a consequence of the proposed development.
"However, the core topics of surface access transport, noise, air quality, socio-economics, carbon, climate change and health will be considered in detail in the Environmental Statement."
This comes as Jet2.com and sister company Jet2CityBreaks, recently announced four trips to New York from Stansted Airport in November and December, targeted at shoppers ahead of Black Friday and Christmas.
Stansted Airport chief executive Andrew Cowan said: “The announcement by Jet2.com and Jet2holidays is fantastic news for London Stansted and everybody in the region looking for a New York shopping trip just before Christmas from their local airport.”