• London Luton Airport growth plan clears legal process
• Phased expansion will see up to 60 per cent more capacity by mid-2040s – underpinned by pioneering ‘Green Controlled Growth’ framework
• Airport owner Luton Rising pledges that every growth passenger will unlock additional investment to improve lives and drive opportunities
Luton Rising, the Luton Council company that owns London Luton Airport and associated assets for community benefit, has this week cleared all legal processes to deliver its ambitious long-term sustainable growth plan that increases the airport’s annual capacity from 19 million passengers to 32 million passengers by the mid-2040s.
Growth will create up to 11,000 new jobs and generate up to an additional £1.5 billion in annual economic activity, cementing the airport’s role as a driver of sustainable prosperity for the region and the country. The growth plan saw Luton Rising become the UK’s first council-owned company to secure a Development Consent Order, in April 2025.
Growth that responds to demand will be delivered through Luton Rising’s legally-binding Green Controlled Growth framework – with strict limits on noise, carbon emissions, air quality and surface access to be met. This goes beyond a target-based approach, providing surety and full transparency to local communities, and ensuring the benefits of growth do not come at the expense of the environment.
Through the success of the airport, since 1998 Luton Rising has provided over £500 million of investment for frontline and community services in Luton and is now able to build on that legacy with a significant additional community dividend from the growth plan.
Luton Rising’s new Community First Fund will secure a direct link between growth passenger numbers and community investment, with an additional £1 invested – on top of its existing community funding programmes – for every additional passenger above the current 19 million passengers per annum capacity.
By the mid-2040s, the new fund could provide up to an additional £13 million per year, with a guaranteed 40 per cent (up to £5.2 million per year) available to neighbouring communities outside Luton close to the airport.
In the first five years, the fund’s priorities will be decarbonisation projects, and initiatives that tackle poverty. Luton itself has one of the highest child poverty rates in England, and many households in neighbouring communities also continue to face acute long-term cost-of-living pressures.
Cllr Tahmina Saleem, Leader of Luton Council, said:
“London Luton Airport sits at the heart of our town, and I’ve seen first-hand what Luton Rising’s community investment funding can mean for local families – helping lift children out of poverty, bringing greater employment opportunities, and giving young people the self-belief that they can go further in their aspirations. As the airport grows, so does the power to change local lives and so we are determined to make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
Rachel Hopkins MP, Luton South and South Bedfordshire, said:
“Luton Airport drives investment and opportunity in our town, for our town, so it’s welcome news that plans for long-term growth have been approved.
“At its core, this development will help to deliver our shared priorities of skilled, local jobs of the future for our young people and long-term investment directly into our communities. Importantly, the Green Controlled Growth framework will ensure our local area is protected and residents prioritised.”
Paul Kehoe, Chair of Luton Rising, said:
“This is a landmark moment, not just for Luton, but also for how the UK thinks about publicly-owned infrastructure delivering for communities and the country.
“We are very pleased to now have the certainty we have been working towards. As a community-owned organisation, every passenger travelling through our airport means more investment in local people and services.”
Alberto Martin, CEO of London Luton Airport Operations Ltd, said:
“London Luton Airport is a stand-out example of a public-private partnership, backed by Aena, the world’s largest airport operator, and InfraBridge, a specialist infrastructure fund. As the operator of the airport, we have delivered the fastest growth period in London Luton Airport’s history and record customer satisfaction, with annual passenger numbers increasing from 10 million in 2013 to more than 18 million today. We are proud to operate one of the UK’s most community-driven infrastructure assets, and by working with Luton Rising have helped deliver exceptional outcomes for Luton, airport users, and our airline partners.”
Gidon Freeman, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director at Universal Destinations & Experiences, said:
“Just over 15 minutes away from London Luton Airport, we are delivering one of the largest ever investments in the UK tourism sector with the construction of Universal United Kingdom Resort. Our world class theme park and resort will attract millions of visitors each year, including more than a million additional overseas visitors. This is an exciting time for the region, and we look forward to working in partnership as Luton Airport brings forward its development plans.”
Contact Information
Christopher Hall
Christopher.hall@luton.gov.uk
Notes to editors
About Luton Rising
Luton Rising is the owner of London Luton Airport, a company wholly-owned by Luton Borough Council. Financial returns are reinvested into the local community, rather than private shareholders. Since 1998, Luton Rising has invested over £500 million into frontline and community services. Its assets include London Luton Airport, the Luton DART, Morton House skills and innovation hub and other commercial properties and development sites.
About the expansion
The London Luton Airport Expansion Development Consent Order (DCO) was granted by the Secretary of State for Transport on 3 April 2025. The project will increase the airport’s annual passenger capacity from approximately 19 million to 32 million by the mid-2040s through the phased construction of additional terminal capacity, piers, stands and associated airfield and landside infrastructure.
Expansion will also unlock the Community First Fund that will see Luton Rising invest an additional £1 for every growth passenger in poverty prevention and decarbonisation projects. By the mid-2040s, the fund could reach up to £13 million annually, with 40% flowing directly to neighbouring communities outside Luton.
Key facts
• Up to 11,000 new jobs created around the airport, in its supply chain and the wider economy, with around 4,400 in Luton directly. Already, London Luton Airport and its supply chain supports up to 27,000 jobs, with around 12,000 in Luton.
• Average airport job salaries are 34% higher than the national average wage
• Up to £1.5 billion in additional annual economic activity across the UK
• Green Controlled Growth framework ensures adherence to environmental limits
Legal background
Judicial review was brought by the Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (LADACAN) in November 2025. All six grounds were dismissed by Mrs Justice Lang in R (LADACAN) v Secretary of State for Transport [2025] EWHC 3206 (Admin) on 8 December 2025. The Court of Appeal refused an extension of time for the appeal on 21 May 2026. On 31 July, the Supreme Court dismissed the final permission to appeal which formally concludes all of the proceedings.
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