London Luton Airport wishes to increase its capacity, using the existing runway to handle 32 million passengers per year by 2043, an increase from its current limit of 18 million passengers per year. This includes expanding the current terminal (terminal 1) and building a new terminal (terminal 2) and associated facilities.
The proposal includes:
- additional capacity within the existing terminal
- a new second terminal
- additional taxiways
- multi-storey short-stay / mid-stay car parking close to the terminal
- mid and long-stay parking
- bus station, taxi ranks and Luton DART (Direct Air to Rail Transport)
- support buildings
- surface access and road changes
The proposals do not involve new flight paths.
Development consent decision, April 2025
On 3 April 2025, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that development consent was granted for the proposed expansion of London Luton Airport.
Read the Planning Inspectorate's project information – GOV.UK
Public consultation, April 2022
Luton Rising, the owner of London Luton Airport, undertook a statutory consultation between 8 February and 4 April 2022, concerning the proposed airport expansion.
The consultation related to the latest proposals and included extensive background studies into the environmental and other impacts of the proposals. Feedback on the representations received during the 2019 consultation was included within the consultation material.
Members of the public were able to see the proposals and ask questions at 13 in-person consultation events. There was also a virtual room that re-created the in-person experience online and was available 24 hours a day throughout the consultation period.
Our response
- Our response to the 2022 statutory consultation (PDF)
- Cover letter on behalf of the host authorities (PDF)
- Joint response to the 2022 statutory consultation (PDF)
- Joint review of the 2022 statutory consultation documents (PDF)
- Joint review of the 2022 statutory consultation documents – traffic and transport (PDF)
- Joint review to the 2022 statutory consultation – Appendix A (PDF)
- Joint response to the 2022 statutory consultation – Appendix B (PDF)
Public consultation, December 2019
London Luton Airport held a first round of public consultation on its proposals in summer 2018, followed by a statutory public consultation from October to December 2019, with public events held in locations around the airport and within Central Bedfordshire.
In 2019, we submitted a response to the consultation, alongside a joint technical response provided by WSP and Vincent & Gorbing, who were commissioned to undertake a review of the statutory consultation documents on behalf of the 4 host authorities:
- Central Bedfordshire Council
- Hertfordshire County Council
- North Hertfordshire District Council
- Luton Borough Council