AIRPORT bosses at Stansted today said the opening of a second runway - if granted permission - would be delayed by two years.

AIRPORT bosses at Stansted today said the opening of a second runway - if granted permission - would be delayed by two years.

Owners BAA had expected the extra runway to open in 2015 but said the drop in passenger numbers at present and new forecasts calculated by their experts showed it would now not be necessary until 2017.

The company had expected the permitted expansion of its current runway to 35 million passengers a year would be reached sooner.

However, it stressed the long-term expansion of the airport would continue and air travel would increase as anticipated by government.

Campaign group Stop Stansted Expansion said the latest delay was just another excuse and called on BAA to abandon the project.

SSE economics adviser Brian Ross said: “It is wholly unacceptable for BAA to try to keep its options open by continuing to postpone the threat of a second runway. It should remove the threat once and for all.”