Luton airport expansion gets government approval

Luton airport has received UK government approval for a major expansion, overriding a recommendation from planning inspectors to reject the project on environmental grounds. The airport to the north of London had sought planning permission to increase its annual passenger capacity from 18mn to 32mn. The major expansion does not include a new runway, but will involve the construction of new infrastructure, including a new terminal and taxiways and aircraft stands. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander on Thursday announced she had approved the development consent order for the scheme, which will support 4,200 new jobs. “Expansion will deliver huge growth benefits for Luton with thousands of good, new jobs and a cash boost for the local council, which owns the airport,” said a government official. The Planning Inspectorate advised refusing the application because of environmental concerns, including the impact on the “relative tranquillity” of the nearby Chiltern Hills. The expansion will mean planes cross the scenic area every 15 minutes instead of the current 30 minutes. The Labour government has swung behind airport expansion in a bid to boost economic growth, including most controversially a potential third runway at Heathrow, Europe’s biggest airport. Alexander in March also signalled she would approve a second runway at Gatwick if the airport makes changes to its plans, but delayed a final decision until later this year. All of London’s major airports currently have plans to boost their passenger numbers. Stansted and City airports have had their proposals approved in recent months. If all the plans are approved, the expanded London airports could handle 309mn passengers annually — an 85% increase on the 167mn travellers who used the airports in 2023, according to a Financial Times analysis.<br/>