London Luton Airport expansion plan cleared to increase capacity

Luton Rising has cleared the legal pathway for London Luton Airport’s long-term expansion, combining increased capacity with a legally binding sustainability framework and new community investment commitments.

Summary:

Luton Rising has cleared legal processes to deliver a long-term growth plan that will increase London Luton Airport’s annual capacity from 19 million to 32 million passengers.
The expansion will be governed by the Green Controlled Growth framework, with legally binding limits on carbon emissions, noise, air quality and surface access.
A new Community First Fund will link passenger growth with local investment, providing additional funding for decarbonisation and community initiatives.

Luton Rising, the company that owns London Luton Airport (a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub), has cleared all legal processes to deliver its ambitious long-term sustainable growth plan that increases the airport’s annual capacity from 19 million passengers to 32 million passengers by the mid-2040s.

Growth that responds to demand will be delivered through Luton Rising’s legally-binding Green Controlled Growth framework – with strict limits on noise, carbon emissions, air quality and surface access to be met. This goes beyond a target-based approach, providing surety and full transparency to local communities, and ensuring the benefits of growth do not come at the expense of the environment.

Luton Rising’s new Community First Fund will secure a direct link between growth passenger numbers and community investment, with an additional £1 invested – on top of its existing community funding programmes – for every additional passenger above the current 19 million passengers per year capacity. In the first five years, the fund’s priorities will be decarbonisation projects, and initiatives that tackle poverty.

“London Luton Airport is a stand-out example of a public-private partnership, backed by Aena, the world’s largest airport operator, and InfraBridge, a specialist infrastructure fund,” said Alberto Martin, CEO, London Luton Airport Operations Ltd. “As the operator of the airport, we have delivered the fastest growth period in London Luton Airport’s history and record customer satisfaction, with annual passenger numbers increasing from 10 million in 2013 to more than 18 million today. We are proud to operate one of the UK’s most community-driven infrastructure assets, and by working with Luton Rising have helped deliver exceptional outcomes for Luton, airport users, and our airline partners.”