General Atomics

Stansted ESD barrier free system set to go live

London Stansted Airport has confirmed its new barrierless system for vehicles using its Express Set Down (ESD) area is set to go live on 22nd January 2025.



Image courtesy MAG

The new system will use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and is designed to simplify the drop off and pick up process as drivers pass through the area more smoothly without the need to stop on exit, helping improve traffic flow and reducing congestion.

The ESD charge will need to be paid by midnight the day after making the drop-off, either online at pay.stanstedairport.com or by phone (0345 017 5046).

No payments will be able to be made when exiting the area and vehicles must not be left unattended at any time while in the drop off area.

Frequent users, including taxi drivers, can register for an account to automatically pay for any ESD visits, with full details available on the airport’s website – Express Set Down – Stansted Airport – while discounts for eligible local residents will be unaffected by the change.

Prominent signage is in place in the ESD area to remind drivers of the new system.

Anita Harrison, London Stansted’s Customer Operations Director, said: “Following our initial announcement last December of our intention to introduce a new barrierless access for vehicles using the ESD, I’m please to confirm the system will go live on 22nd January.

“The ANPR technology will make dropping-off and picking up passengers quicker and more convenient, reducing driver waiting times and helping improve passenger flows and that is why we are confident it will improve the overall experience for users."

Related

Why did the RAF’s Cold War V-bombers look so different?
Avro Vulcan
Why did the RAF’s Cold War V-bombers look so different?
Why did the RAF field three radically different strategic bombers? The answer lies in post-war procurement, technological uncertainty and the race to establish a credible British nuclear deterrent.
Aerospace

25 Oct 2026

Pakistan International Airlines bolsters UK network with Birmingham resumption and more London flights
Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 landing
Pakistan International Airlines bolsters UK network with Birmingham resumption and more London flights
PIA will expand its network in the United Kingdom as it resumes flights to Birmingham and increases London Heathrow to 7x weekly.
Aerospace

24 Oct 2026

Turning carbon into cleaner jet fuel: OXCCU reaches major milestone
OX1
Turning carbon into cleaner jet fuel: OXCCU reaches major milestone
Oxford clean-fuel innovator OXCCU has passed independent testing of its CO₂-derived sustainable aviation fuel, bringing its low-cost, scalable technology a step closer to commercial reality.
Aerospace Member News

24 Oct 2026

Royal Engineers trial new construction methods for conflict and disaster zones
Royal Engineers Museum
Royal Engineers trial new construction methods for conflict and disaster zones
At the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent, soldiers from the Corps of Royal Engineers evaluated ongoing research aimed at the development of practical reconstruction solutions for real-life scenarios in environments impacted by conflict, where resources for making concrete are limited.
Roke appoints Jo Rayson as its first COO
Roke HQ, Romsey
Roke appoints Jo Rayson as its first COO
Responsibility for the expansion of Roke's systems and infrastructure has been entrusted to its first ever Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jo Rayson.
Defence Member News

23 Oct 2026

Royal Navy leads AUKUS submarine-hunting trials using autonomous systems
09 Mar 2026- Exercise SPRING SABRE Building on the success of trials and tests in 2025, Exercise Spring Sabre landed in Plymouth in early March, to develop and manage the diversity of uncrewed maritime and airborne available to a Hybrid Navy construct. Utilising the unique and diverse environments on offer across Plymouth Sound, Ex Spring Sabre has been able to improve collaboration between operators as well as reduce the duplication of effort and make planned operations more efficient. Falling under the AUKUS Pillar II - Maritime Big Play programme, in which sees UK, Australia, and the United States test and integrate autonomous systems, the Exercise enabled several Industrial partners to share command-and-control software and grow a baseline for using autonomous kit in a Littoral setting.
Royal Navy leads AUKUS submarine-hunting trials using autonomous systems
The UK is leading anti-submarine warfare experiments in San Diego as Australia, the UK and the US test how crewed warships, underwater vehicles and autonomous systems can operate together.
Defence

23 Oct 2026

ClearSpace and Eutelsat sign term sheet to advance Phoenix GEO life-extension services
Artificial rendering of Phoenix approaching a client satellite.
ClearSpace and Eutelsat sign term sheet to advance Phoenix GEO life-extension services
A new agreement between ClearSpace and Eutelsat has established a framework for cooperation on the Phoenix mission and future commercial life-extension services, bringing satellite operator expertise into the development of next-gen in-orbit servicing capabilities.
Member News Space

22 Oct 2026

UK Space Agency opens £2m fund to bring satellite data into new markets
Satellite
UK Space Agency opens £2m fund to bring satellite data into new markets
UK businesses can partner with space suppliers to test satellite-enabled environmental and emissions services, with applications closing on 11 December.
Space

21 Oct 2026

Newquay could host twice-daily space flights under new plan
Aurora - Flight 61, Scout Space - High Altitude
Newquay could host twice-daily space flights under new plan
Spaceport Cornwall and Dawn Aerospace are exploring plans to bring reusable spaceplane operations to Newquay, with ambitions for twice-daily flights to the edge of space.
Aerospace Space

20 Oct 2026

Hostile states are exploiting public information. UK organisations must respond
Headshot for Jack Borthwick at Fivecast
Hostile states are exploiting public information. UK organisations must respond
Jack Borthwick, account director, EMEA, at Fivecast, argues that AI-enabled open-source intelligence can help organisations spot hostile activity earlier.
Security

24 Oct 2026

Royal Engineers trial new construction methods for conflict and disaster zones
Royal Engineers Museum
Royal Engineers trial new construction methods for conflict and disaster zones
At the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham, Kent, soldiers from the Corps of Royal Engineers evaluated ongoing research aimed at the development of practical reconstruction solutions for real-life scenarios in environments impacted by conflict, where resources for making concrete are limited.
Met Office secures new five-year Heathrow Airport weather support contract
Aircraft wing
Met Office secures new five-year Heathrow Airport weather support contract
A renewed five-year agreement will see Met Office meteorologists continue delivering round-the-clock weather intelligence to help Heathrow prepare for disruption and keep passengers and cargo moving.
Aerospace Security

23 Oct 2026