Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport and London Luton Airport CEO Nick Barton marked the completion of London Luton Airport’s £160 million transformation programme with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
London Luton Airport (LLA) officially unveiled its newly-upgraded terminal on 13 December in the presence of The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, the Secretary of State for Transport. The terminal is the centrepiece of LLA’s three-year transformation project.
The £160 million (€180m) redevelopment has been the biggest in the airport’s 80-year history and focused on making passengers’ journeys easier, quicker and more enjoyable, with significant improvements being made in the terminal and to the ways in which people get to and from the airport.
The transformation of the airport is expected to increase the annual capacity by 50% to 18 million passengers by 2020. Since the work began passenger numbers have increased by 35%, making LLA London’s fastest-growing airport, with more than 16.5 million passengers expected to fly in 2018, an increase of 5% on 2017.
Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport, said: “Luton’s investment firmly puts passengers at the heart of development and will improve the experience of those using the airport for business or holidays. Supporting thriving airports like Luton will form a part of the Government’s Aviation 2050 consultation, ensuring the benefits of transformation are felt across the local area.”
Nick Barton, CEO of London Luton Airport, said: “2018 has been a milestone year for LLA. We celebrated our 80th anniversary in the summer and now we have completed our three-year transformation which brings a host of benefits to passengers. This is a new era for LLA. We are the fastest-growing major London airport and are now in a position to play an increasingly important role in the UK’s aviation network.”
Some of the developments include:
- 30 new high street and luxury stores, including Hugo Boss, Chanel, which offers an exclusive range at LLA, and Oliver Bonas’ first airport store.
- Over 1,000 more seats and free Wi-Fi.
- A new boarding pier, with eight additional boarding gates.
- An expanded security search area.
- A new dual carriageway, bus interchange and multi-storey car park.
