A major UK airport is due for a huge upgrade which is due to start in January 2026. The London airport charters a huge number of flights each year, serving over 27 million passengers a year, but now it could have even more potential.

According to reports, Stansted Airport's North Western Main Terminal Expansion will soon undergo a £600million upgrade. Plans for the upgrade have been ongoing but now, the change could be happening soon. According to Gov.co.uk, more than 5,000 jobs will be created as a result of a five-year project.

The plans will see Stansted unlock the potential of its runway through the extension of its existing terminal.

Funding will expand the existing terminal by a third, securing new air routes to key business and holiday destinations.

This will help to boost local supply chains and further cement the UK's place on the international stage.

The investment consists of £600million for the terminal extension, alongside another £500million to improve the existing terminal and wider airport estate.

When the project was announced, a spokesperson for MAG - which owns London Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands Airports, said: "We are proud to be investing in our infrastructure in a way that will create jobs and stimulate trade, investment and tourism.

"Aviation is an essential enabler of the success of the UK's key high-value industries, and we look forward to helping the government achieve the highest sustained growth in the G7 through the sustainable growth of our airports."

This month, the airport has also received approval to increase its annual passenger limit up to 51 million, unlocking the potential to deliver a wide range of consumer, economic and community benefits over the next 20 years.

Uttlesford District Council gave the green light to Stansted's application, which paves the way for it to make best use of its existing single runway and grow over the next two decades.