The Disaster Planning for Stansted Airport, which' it is proposed will become London's third airport, with expansion to handle up to 50 million passengers per annum by the end of the decade, poses a unique problem because, unlike most other major airports, it is relatively isolated and some distance from the medical facilities required to handle a major disaster. The airport is situated about halfway between London and Cambridge, each 30 miles away, in the heart of the countryside in North Western Essex, close to its border with Hertfordshire.

In the past, the number of survivors from aircraft accidents involving narrow-bodied jets has been very small but, with the advent of the wide-bodied jets such as the Boeing 7k7, this has changed and survival rates in excess of 50% have been found. This gives a potential of more than 250 survivors from an aircraft with 500 seats, many of whom might be expected to have major injuries.

The nearest hospital is k miles away which, in the event of a major disaster, could take up to 6 seriously injured and 12 walking wounded within the first 4 h. Twelve miles away is another hospital which could take the same number, and 20 miles away is a further hospital which could handle up to 8 seriously injured and 20 walking wounded. The nearest hospitals with major accident departments are in North East London and Cambridge, each of which could take up to 10 seriously injured and 50 walking wounded initially.