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It was recently reported that the number of passengers flying into and out of Stansted airport has fallen yet again. Last month the airport handled 2,019,500 passengers, a 3.3% decrease when compared to May of last year. In the twelve months to May 2008 passengers were down by 1.6%.

Campaigners for the group "Stop Stansted Expansion" were predictably heartened by the news, pointing out that this was the seventh successive month in which numbers had fallen. They have called for BAA to give up on its plans for a second runway, saying that in the last six months, during which time Stansted lost its three routes to America, it has reverted to being an airport for cheap domestic and European flights.

The loss earlier this month of its last service to New York, operated by American Airlines (only seven months after its introduction) was heralded by campaigners as proof that the airport was not succeeding in its long haul aspirations and that the ambition of becoming another Heathrow was not going to be as easy to achieve as had been hoped.

A spokesman for the airport has countered the campaigners' argument, by blaming the downward trend on the global situation, explaining that Heathrow too has suffered a drop in passenger numbers. Stansted personnel are not “unduly worried” according to the spokesman, and are said to be pressing on with plans for the new runway (described by the SSE campaigners as a “white elephant”), which they feel is vital for providing extra flying capacity in the South East.