Luton Airport expansion plans approved by transport secretary

The expansion of Luton Airport has been approved by the transport secretary.

The decision by Heidi Alexander to rubber-stamp the plans, which are for a new terminal rather than a runway, comes despite the Planning Inspectorate recommending she reject the move over environmental concerns.

The government had been considering whether to expand the airport as a means to boost UK growth, following a similar decision to give the green light to a third runway at Heathrow at the beginning of the year.

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Luton Airport, the UK's fifth busiest airport last year, wants to increase its annual cap on passenger numbers from 18 million to 32 million by the mid-2040s, allowing its runway to be used for 77,000 more flights per year compared with last year.

In 2024, 16.9 million passengers travelled through the airport on 132,000 flights.

The Planning Inspectorate, the arms-length government body that deals with planning appeals and national infrastructure planning applications, was concerned that the airport expansion would have a "moderate adverse significant effect on the aesthetic or perceptual characteristics" of the Chilterns national landscape during construction.

Ms Alexander approved the airport's development consent order – used to obtain permission for nationally significant infrastructure projects – after being told the expansion would help the UK's economy.

It is understood the cabinet unanimously supported the plans in light of claims that the expansion would also benefit Luton, where Stellantis closed its 120-year-old Vauxhall van-making factory less than a week ago.

A government source said: "The transport secretary has approved the expansion of Luton airport for its benefits to Luton and the wider UK economy.

"The decision overturns the Planning Inspectorate's recommendation for refusal.

"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.

"This is the 14th development consent order approved by this Labour government, demonstrating we will stop at nothing to deliver economic growth and new infrastructure as part of our plan for change."

'Clear benefits'

Luton Rising, the economic development company that owns the airport, claimed the project would support around 12,000 new jobs in the area and provide an additional economic benefit of £1.6bn per year.

Chair Paul Kehoe said the transport secretary's decision "enables us to continue detailed planning".

He added: "The benefits are clear. At a new capacity of 32 million passengers per year, our scheme will deliver up to 11,000 new jobs, additional annual economic activity of up to £1.5bn, and up to an additional £13m every year for communities and good causes.

"By introducing maximum limits for the airport's noise, operational greenhouse gas emissions, air quality and surface access impacts, we also believe that our green controlled growth framework represents the most far-reaching commitment to the sustainable operation of an airport ever put forward in the UK."

Last month Ms Alexander also announced that she would support Gatwick Airport's second runway plan if the project was adjusted.

The transport secretary previously said the UK "can and must" boost aviation at the same time as protecting the environment, denying that the two are fundamentally incompatible.

'Bad case of déjà vu'

Environmental groups immediately criticised the decision as "misguided".

Johann Beckford, senior policy adviser at Green Alliance, said it was "a bad case of déjà vu".

He added: "Doubling passenger and flight numbers will increase emissions, air pollution and noise.

"This latest misguided project does more to undermine UK climate credibility than it does to expand the economy as, once again, the growth impact of the expansion is likely to be overstated.

"With almost 90% of Luton flights taken for leisure, this decision gives priority boarding to British tourists taking their money out of the country to spend abroad."

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Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the move would "encourage frequent flyers to fly even more frequently" and to spend their money abroad.

"70% of the UK's flights are taken by just 15% of its population," he said.

"The UK already runs a £41bn tourism deficit; an expanded Luton will make this worse by encouraging even more people to take their disposal income out of the UK and spend it abroad.

"Approving the expansion of Gatwick and Luton airports will see emissions increase to such an extent that all the CO2 savings that the government hopes to achieve from its clean power plan would be wiped out by 2050."

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