London Luton Airport runway resurfacing starts

The taxiways at London Luton Airport were resurfaced in 2017

London Luton Airport (LLA) will carry out essential runway resurfacing works over about five months at a cost of £18m.

The works, starting on Monday, will take place overnight between 00:01 GMT and 05:45 on weekdays to minimise disruption to airport operations.

During this time, the runway will be closed to all aircraft for takeoffs and landings.

Neil Thompson, chief operations officer at LLA, said it "will closely monitor noise levels throughout the project".

The taxiways at London Luton Airport were extended in 2017 to increase runway capacity

The airport said the work was necessary to ensure the continued safety and efficiency of airport operations and to ensure it continues to meet all regulatory safety requirements.

It wrote to more than 25,000 households to notify them about the work, which is being carried out by engineering firm Lagan.

Mr Thompson said: "We recognise that projects of this scale can raise questions or concerns, particularly around noise disturbance and light pollution.

"Wherever possible, materials will be reused to reduce both waste and the movement of vehicles."

He added they would like to thank local residents for their understanding and cooperation.

Last year, London Luton Airport carried more than 16.7 million passengers, but that number was expected to rise to 32 million per year by 2043 after the government approved its expansion.