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Why Stansted Airport Is the Preferred US Presidential Gateway to the UK

Since 2009, London Stansted has become the go-to entry point for US presidents visiting the UK, combining security, capacity and proximity to London.

Stansted’s Role as the US Presidential Gateway

Despite its reputation as a budget airline hub, London Stansted has become the preferred arrival point for US presidents visiting the UK. Since Barack Obama’s first landing in 2009, nine visits have been logged at Stansted, including those by Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Security and Capacity

Stansted offers a secure VIP hangar away from the main terminal, allowing Air Force One and Marine One to be accommodated without disrupting regular flights. Proximity to RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall ensures rapid deployment of support personnel, while the adjacent M11 motorway provides a swift 39-mile journey to central London.

Media Operations

The airport’s layout also supports large media contingents. On Trump’s latest visit, around 100 journalists and photographers captured every moment as support aircraft and ground vehicles accompanied Air Force One.

A Storied History

March 2009: Obama lands for the G20 summit
May 2011: Obama’s state visit
June 2018, 2019 & December 2019: Trump’s visits
September 2022 & July 2023: Biden visits

Local Perspective

INLIBER reporter Richard Smith recalled the tension and excitement of covering Trump’s 2019 arrival: the precise logistics, the gusting winds and the palpable sense of history as the president stepped onto British soil.

PA Media Three black security cars parked on the tarmac at Stansted Airport. In front, soldiers and special agents wearing body armour are walking. They have their faces partially covered.

PA Media A police officer wearing a black polo shirt sits on a roof next to a mounted black sniper rifle. He stands in front of a clear blue sky.

PA Media Harry Kane is wearing a navy England tracksuit top and is holding a dark wash bag. He is walking in front of the terminal building at Stansted Airport. To his left is a woman wearing a pink hi-vis jacket.

No10 Downing Street Rishi Sunak wears a navy suit jacket as he embraces Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is wearing a dark green sweater. Both are standing on the runway at Stansted Airport, looking at each other and smiling.

Gareth Powell, Stansted’s managing director, emphasises the airport’s ability to handle high-profile operations alongside daily services, cementing its status among the UK’s leading airports.

Stansted’s combination of security infrastructure, space for VIP aircraft and proximity to military bases has made it the White House’s runway of choice for UK visits.

This topic was reported by BBC.

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