London Stansted reveals newly-designed Departure Lounge seating with room for 550 additional passengers

London Stansted Airport has revealed stylish new passenger seating and created three brand new seating areas in its busy Departure Lounge, which has increased capacity by 40 per cent. Last month, the airport appointed Mace as the main contractor for the construction of its new £150 million arrivals terminal.

The improvements, part of the ongoing £600 million Stansted Transformation Project, have created a more attractive and comfortable seating area with room now for over 1000 passengers in the main Departure Lounge area and including 436 new USB and USC charging points. ‘Leaf lamps’ around the area provide ambient lighting while helping to absorb sound using felt ‘foliage’.

A dedicated family seating area has been created within the Departure Lounge, offering smaller and colourful children-friendly bench seating for groups travelling with younger children.

There is also a newly-created quiet seating area downstairs from the Departure Lounge and away from retail units and passenger thoroughfares. It has 208 seats and offers a more peaceful environment to passengers preferring to spend their pre-flight time away from the hustle and bustle of main departure lounge.

And on the way to Satellite 3 gates, a third new seating area offers 160 additional seats.

“We are delighted with the fresh look of the main Departures Lounge and, most importantly, I’m confident passengers will also be very pleased with the changes we have made. It has updated the area and offers much-needed additional seating and device charging points, while the curved design and layout of the furniture means passengers feel a sense of space while seated.

“The quiet seating area is something new we’re pleased to be able to offer. This is on a lower level floor with no shops or TVs and no one passing through, so it is a calmer environment for those who may find that more appealing than the busy central areas.

“We are in a really exciting time for London Stansted and this is just one example of the many planned developments in the terminal building which will transform the experience for millions of passengers travelling through the airport,” Linsey Miller, Head of Terminal Operations said.