A 30-year growth plan for London Luton Airport has been announced by the airport’s owner London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL).
Luton Council, which is the local authority for the area and the town with which the airport shares its name, is LLAL’s sole shareholder.
London Luton lies some 35 miles north of the UK capital and is largely used by LCC and charter services. It is the home base of LCC easyJet. The airport has frequently been criticized by consumer groups in recent years for poor facilities, charges and ground infrastructure.
Construction is scheduled to start next year on the £225 million ($300 million) passenger transfer service Luton DART (Direct Air to Rail Transit), which aims to cut journey times from railway station to the terminal to three minutes.
The airport’s proposal is LLAL’s response to the UK government’s recent call for all the country’s airports to make best use of their existing runways.
Nationally, demand for aviation is showing a projected shortfall in UK airport capacity of 60 million passengers per annum (mppa) by 2050, according to LALL.
Under the airport’s Vision for Sustainable Growth 2020-2050, passenger capacity would grow from 18 million to 36-38 mppa, and the airport would accommodate 240,000 annual air traffic movements.
Growth at the airport would be achieved by making the best use possible of its existing, single runway.
“London Luton Airport is a huge success story,” councillor Andy Malcolm, chairman of LLAL said. “On the back of 44 consecutive months of passenger growth, it is the fifth-largest and fastest-growing major airport in the UK.
“The airport’s growth has been so fast, in fact, that at its current rate it is due to reach the current permitted capacity of 18 mppa in 2021.”
Alan Dron alandron@adepteditorial.com
