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The UK government has granted approval for the expansion of London Luton Airport (LTN), allowing it to nearly double its passenger capacity from 18 million to 32 million annually.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander's decision overturns the UK Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation to block the development due to environmental concerns, including potential impacts on woodlands and the nearby Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The government justified the approval by emphasizing significant economic benefits, such as job creation and increased local investment.
Paul Kehoe, independent chairman of Luton Rising, the Luton Council company that owns LTN, welcomed the decision, saying it paves the way for the “long-term sustainable growth” of the airport. “The benefits are clear. At a new capacity of 32 million passengers per year, our scheme will deliver up to 11,000 new jobs, additional annual economic activity of up to £1.5 billion [$2 billion] and up to an additional £13 million every year for communities and good causes,” Kehoe said.
The project includes construction of a new terminal, additional aircraft stands, improved road access via a new dual carriageway and an extension of the Luton DART light rail system. The expansion will not involve building a new runway, but instead make more efficient use of the existing one.
“Our priority now is to finalize a commercial agreement with Luton Council 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,” LTN CEO Alberto Martin said.
According to London Luton Airport Ltd., the operator of the airport, the scheme will create up to 11,000 jobs. As part of the approval, the airport has vowed to implement a ‘Green Controlled Growth’ framework, a mechanism designed to ensure that growth is aligned with strict environmental limits for noise, air quality, carbon emissions and surface access.
Luton Rising submitted the application for a Development Consent Order in early 2023. The Planning Inspectorate completed its examination in 2024 and recommended refusal, citing that environmental impacts outweighed the economic case.
However, the government’s decision letter published on April 3 acknowledged the environmental impacts but concluded that the benefits of the project—particularly its contribution to regional and national economic growth—overshadowed the concerns. It said there was a “compelling case for granting development consent” given the “national need” for the project and the capacity it will deliver.
LTN handled about 16.7 million passengers in 2024. It is operated by a consortium, of which the majority shareholder is Spanish airport group Aena and infrastructure investment manager InfraBridge. Earlier this week, Jet2.com opened a new base at the airport, offering 17 routes.
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