# History Stansted began as a wartime airfield and grew into a major civilian airport, with low-cost expansion transforming its role from the 1990s onward. ## Wartime origin Stansted was built as a military airfield during the Second World War and later transferred to civilian use. ## Civil expansion The airport developed gradually after the war, but its modern role was shaped by terminal redevelopment and the growth of low-cost aviation from the 1990s. ## Low-cost era Ryanair's expansion made Stansted one of Europe's major low-cost bases, giving the airport a very different traffic mix from Heathrow even though both serve the London market. ## Fun facts - In June 1983, a NASA **Space Shuttle** stopped at Stansted during a European tour; the airport says about **200,000 people** turned out to see it. - Stansted has appeared on screen in productions including James Bond, *Bridget Jones* and *Only Fools and Horses*. - The terminal opened in 1991 was designed by **Sir Norman Foster** and remains one of the airport's defining architectural features. See Stansted's [history retrospective](https://mediacentre.stanstedairport.com/blog-stansted-through-time--a-look-back-at-our-history/). --- ## Links here - [Stansted Airport](page:534)