Luton Airport is set to double its capacity after the government granted permission for its expansion.
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, overruled planning inspectors who recommended rejecting the expansion over environmental concerns.
Luton’s plans will see its existing terminal expanded and a whole new terminal built as well as new taxiways.
The airport is hoping to double its annual passenger numbers to 32 million by 2043. Currently, about 16.7 million travellers use Luton Airport every year, which is the fourth largest airport in the London area.
A decision on the expansion plans had previously been delayed three times.
Concerns had been raised about ancient trees and the impact of an increased number of flights on the Chilterns National Landscape.
Luton Airport has said that the airport’s expansion will be a ‘green controlled-growth mechanism’.
Its plans include providing public transport access to the airport and sticking to binding targets on noise and emissions.
Luton Airport is set to double its capacity after the government granted permission for its expansion
The airport is hoping to double its annual passenger numbers to 32 million by 2043
The airport also expects the expansion to create around 11,000 new jobs.
Luton Rising, the airport’s owner, said: ‘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.’
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: ‘Improving our national infrastructure is critical to achieving growth and delivering jobs across the country, and this decision will help us deliver growth as part of our plan for change.
‘This step underlines the government’s commitment to unlocking vital infrastructure and backing growth.’
However, LADACAN, a campaign group against the airport’s expansion, said: ‘The increasing costs of damage caused by climate change will rub out any benefits from the government’s Green Power Plan in five years, according to the New Economics Foundation.
‘Being awoken at night by aircraft noise increases the chance of stroke or heart disease according to the World Health Organisation. Increased health harms add to the costs on the NHS.’
Luton Airport is currently a base for several airlines including easyJet and Ryanair while Jet2 opened a new base there earlier this week.
Jet2’s first flight from Luton took off on April 1 and the carrier is set to operate 36 flights a week from its new base.
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