Airport Airport

STN London Stansted Airport Security Times

IATA Code:

STN

Timezone:

UTC/GMT +1:00 hours

Airport local time:

Sunday, 11:14am

A bit busy

Wait times are steady
Updated today, Sunday 17 May 2026
10:25 AM (UTC/GMT +1:00 hours)
Add Your Time
  • Data

    Qsensor combines airport data with crowdsourced information. How was your airport experience? Contribute to the community by submitting your wait time.

  • Disclaimer

    Waiting times may not accurately reflect your experience. It is advisable to arrive at the airport well in advance and follow the recommendations of the airlines and airports.

  • Airport Last Updated

    10:25 AM (UTC/GMT +1:00 hours)

Wait Times by Day of Week

Average wait times based on the last 3 weeks of data.

20m
Mon
20m
Tue
20m
Wed
20m
Thu
21m
Fri
20m
Sat
20m
Sun

The average wait time at 11 am at this airport is 17 minutes

Based on data from the past 3 weeks.
Current: 20 min (Similar to usual: avg wait time is 17 min)

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Latest Airport Arrival Time
Domestic 1h 27m before departure
International 2h 2m before departure
How we calculated this

Bag drop closes 45-60 min before departure. With an estimated 25 min bag drop queue, you need to arrive at the desk 70-85 min early. After that, allow 20 min for security (avg on Sundays) and 12 min to walk to your gate, which closes 15-20 min before departure. Finally, add a 15 min buffer.

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Best & Worst Times to Fly

Based on historical security wait times and flight delays across all days of the week.

Best Time
Early Morning
4am - 8am
20 min avg wait
10 min avg flight delay
Worst Time
Evening
5pm - 9pm
20 min avg wait
19 min avg flight delay

How Busy
Is the Airport?

Based on live and historical flight patterns. Tap a bar to see details.

As busy as usual (13 flights vs 13 avg)
12 am
1 am
2 am
3 am
4 am
5 am
6 am
7 am
8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
10 pm
11 pm
Not busy
A bit busy
Busy
Very busy

Flight Delays

Average departure delays by hour, based on the last 2 weeks of flight data.

Current: 2 min (Similar to usual: avg wait time is 5 min)
Updated today, Sunday 17 May 2026
-- --

Flight Status

On Time (0-15 min)
Delayed (16-45 min)
Severely Delayed (>45 min)

Select a day to view flight status

Your Guide to Navigating London Stansted Airport

London Stansted Airport (STN) is the UK’s fourth-busiest airport and serves as a primary fortress hub for low-cost carriers, most notably Ryanair, as well as Jet2.com and TUI. Located approximately 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Central London in Essex, it is a key gateway for European leisure travel rather than long-haul business connections. The airport operates a single terminal known for its industrial design. Unlike Heathrow or Gatwick, Stansted is designed almost exclusively for point-to-point budget travel, meaning it lacks airside transfer facilities for connecting passengers.

London Stansted Airport FAQ

London Stansted Airport is currently A bit busy based on real-time flight departure data.

The current Security wait time at London Stansted Airport is approximately 20 minutes.

Security wait times at London Stansted Airport vary throughout the day. Check the historical wait time chart on this page to find the quietest times.

Flights from London Stansted Airport are running close to normal today, with an average delay of 2 minutes — typical for this time on Sundays.

No. While Stansted Airport has been installing new CT scanners, the rollout is not yet complete. You must adhere to the 100ml limit for all liquids, gels, and pastes. Packing: Liquids under 100ml can now often remain inside your hand luggage rather than being placed in a separate plastic bag, but you should still carry a clear bag just in case you are directed to a legacy lane.

Exceptions: Essential medicines (with a prescription) and baby food/milk are permitted in larger quantities.

It depends on the lane you are directed to. Stansted is currently operating a hybrid system. If you are in a lane with a new scanner, you can leave electronics in your bag. In older lanes, they must be removed. Always follow the instructions given by staff in your specific lane.

It is generally recommended if you are flying during the morning peak (05:00 – 09:00am), where the airport is often most busy.

  • Cost: Fast Track costs £6.49 for the basic version or £9.99 for Fast Track Plus.
  • What is Fast Track Plus? This service allows you to bypass the Security Queue and Duty Free, leading you directly to the departure gates.
  • Where can I purchase Fast Track? You can purchase it from the official Stansted airport website.

You cannot pay at the exit barrier. There are no payment machines at the exit.

  • Cost: £7.00 for up to 15 minutes.
  • How to Pay: You must pay online or via the automated phone line (0345 017 5046) by midnight the day after you drop off.
  • Penalty: Failure to pay by the deadline results in a £100 Parking Charge Notice (reduced to £60 if paid in 14 days).

Yes. You can drop passengers off for free at the Mid Stay Car Park, which allows 60 minutes of free parking.

Transfer: Passengers must take a free shuttle bus from the Mid Stay Car Park to the terminal, which takes approximately 7 minutes and runs every 10 minutes.

No. Stansted Airport is outside the Transport for London (TfL) Oyster zone. You cannot tap in and out with Oyster or Contactless bank cards at the airport station.

Warning: If you tap in at London Liverpool Street and try to tap out at Stansted, the gates will not open, and you may be liable for a penalty fare. You must buy a specific paper or e-ticket. Contactless payments are not expected to be fully rolled out until summer 2026.

No. This is a common mistake.

  • Gates 1-19: Take the Transit Train (Stop 1).
  • Gates 20-39: Take the Transit Train (Stop 2).
  • Gates 40-59: You must WALK. There is no train to these gates. It takes about 15 minutes from the lounge. Gates 81-88: You must WALK (located below gates 20-39).

Generally, no. Stansted does not have a sterile international transfer area. You usually must clear immigration, collect your bags, go landside, and re-clear security, even for connecting flights. Ensure you have the necessary UK visa to enter the country.

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Live data: For the majority of the airports we track we use live data from the airport. For the remaining airports we provide a modelled projection, combined with crowdsourced data.

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Add a security or customs queue wait time: How was your airport security experience? Contribute to the community by inputting your wait time. This feature is only available for airports where Qsensor does not automatically track data. To add a wait time, simply click the “Add Your Time” button on the airports page and follow the instructions.

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Click the “i” icon to view and take note of more contextual information on each airport. “Airport Last Updated” denotes the last time the data was refreshed.

Our sources for wait time data vary and may include air travel data aggregators, federal agencies such as the TSA, CATSA CBP, or information from the airport and its affiliated service providers. For some airports, Qsensor utilises its proprietary queue modelling technology to project wait times. Additionally, we crowdsource data from passengers who have input their wait time using the “Add Your Time” button.

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We regularly check queue times and flight delays for accuracy, however all times are estimates and waiting times and delays may not accurately reflect your experience. It is advisable to arrive at the airport well in advance and follow the recommendations of the airlines and airports.

There are a wide array of ways that queue data is measured. Including but not limited to looking at how long a passenger takes to get from scanning their boarding pass to exiting the security or customs area. Auditing passengers on how long it took them to pass through security or customs as well as Qsensors’ proprietary system for user added wait times. 

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