In message
-septe
mber.org, at 22:36:36 on Mon, 30 Apr 2018, Recliner
remarked:
On a recent trip through Stansted, I happened to get a position at the
front of the little transit train on the way to Satellite 2 so I whipped
out my pocket camera and took a few pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/sets/72157668434701408

While waiting for the delayed flight in the Satellite, I realised that the
long underground transit ride had actualy brought us back to a satellite
pier that's also connected directly to the terminal building with a
walkway. I was, of course, aware that the underground route has a long
curve, but hadn't realised that it takes you almost back to where you
started.

It's fairly obvious where the satellites are relative to the main
building (by looking out of the window!), so I'm surprised at your
surprise.

It's certainly an unusual route for an airport satellite pier
shuttle, and the convulated route seems to be based on the original plan
for another satellite pier where the cargo terminal now stands.

Did you take a picture of the track from the portal to where the curve
begins, because that would be the most unexpected part for most
travellers.

Stansted has one passenger terminal with three satellite piers as well as a
nearby freight terminal. All passenger gates are on the satellites, not the
main terminal building. The three satellites are each connected to the
terminal in a different way:

- Starting at the north east, Satellite 3 is used by international flights
using gates 40-59. It's connected to the righthand corner of the terminal
by an up-down dog-leg passage, used by all passengers. The transit is not
used. I think this spartan satellite is used exclusively by Ryanair.

That satellite used to be just the shed at the end (in fact, I think a
predecessor of that shed). It was built for BA's low cost airline 'Go'
and the only way to reach it was by bus from where the current walkway
departs the main terminal.

In the mean time, it's been extended to make a more conventional
terminal.

--
Roland Perry