Luton Airport expansion: 65% back plans in consultation

The airport expansion would be carried out in three phases until 2028

Plans to almost double the capacity of Luton Airport have received support from a public consultation.

There were 1,360 responses to the proposal to support 18 million passengers a year, up from 9.5 million, with 884 (65%) of them positive.

Three hundred and eighty (28%) objected and 94 (7%) were undecided.

The £100m expansion would include improvements to the road network, car parking, passenger terminal and aircraft taxiways.

Operator London Luton Airport Operations Limited (LLAOL) said up to 5,100 jobs would be created by the expansion, which would be carried out within the airport's current boundary and using its existing runway.

The work would be carried out in three phases, up until 2028.

LLAOL said, as a result of the feedback, it would be adding restrictions to the number of night-time flights and introducing a fining system for aircraft breaching noise limits.

The consultation ended in October and the planning application was submitted at the end of November.

Luton Borough Council's consultation period on the plans runs until 18 February.