Plan to almost double passenger capacity at Luton Airport gets the go ahead
April 3, 2025
Plans to expand London Luton Airport (LLA) from its current capacity of 19 million passengers to 32 million passengers have been granted approval a recommendation to reject them.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander had been advised to reject LLA’s expansion plan by the Planning Inspectorate due to environmental concerns, specifically disruption to the surrounding Chilterns National Landscape, an area of outstanding natural beauty and the destruction of Wigmore Park, which adjoins the airport. Concerns were also raised at the increased airline activity with a plane flying over the area up to once every 15 minutes under the expansion plan, compared to the current once every 30 minutes.
In 2024 the airport welcomed 16.9 million passengers and 132,000 flights. The expansion project is centred on raising the airport’s cap from 19 million to 32 million passengers per year by the mid-2040s and allowing for 77,000 more flights than the airport saw last year. The expansion, which will include building a new terminal, extending the current airfield platform and developing new airside and landside facilities, is expected to generate up to 11,000 new jobs and unlock an additional £1.5 billion for the local economy every year.
A government source said the expansion would “deliver huge growth benefits for Luton with thousands of good, new jobs and a cash boost for the council which owns the airport.”
Sustainability commitment
Proposed by airport owners Luton Rising, the plans feature a legally binding and independently monitored framework with limits on noise, airport carbon emissions, air quality and surface access under a ‘Green Controlled Growth’ model. “It represents the most far-reaching commitment to the sustainability operation of an airport ever put forward in the UK,” said Paul Kehoe, chair of Luton Rising.
Alberto Martin, CEO of London Luton Airport added, “Our priority now is to finalise a commercial agreement with Luton Countil to renew our successful partnership so together we can deliver on the Government’s growth policy and make the expansion plans a reality as soon as possible. This will put Luton at the heart of a collective mission to achieve sustainable economic growth.”
Government approval to expand LLA follows government backing earlier this year of the expansion of Gatwick Airport and the Chancellor’s backing for a third runway at Heathrow.
