London Luton Airport

Airport Information

London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated 1.5 miles east of the town centre, and 28 miles north of Central London.

The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by Luton Borough Council, and operated by London Luton Airport Operations Ltd (LLAOL).

An airport was opened on the site on 16 July 1938. During the Second World War, the airport was used by fighters of the Royal Air Force. Commercial activity and general aviation flight training at Luton resumed during 1952. By the 1960s, Luton Airport was playing a key role in the development of the package holiday business; by 1969, a fifth of all holiday flights from the UK departed from Luton Airport. From the mid-1960s, executive aircraft have been based at the airport. During the late 1970s, an expansion plan was initiated at Luton to accommodate as many as 5 million passengers per year, although the airport experienced a reduction in passenger numbers in the 1980s. In 1990, the airport was renamed London Luton Airport to re-emphasise the airport’s proximity to the capital.

The arrival of new operators at Luton during the 1990s, such as charter operator MyTravel Group and new low-cost scheduled flights from Debonair and EasyJet, contributed to a rapid increase in passenger numbers that made it the fastest growing major airport in the UK. In August 1997, to fund an £80 million extension of the airport, a 30-year concession contract was issued to a public-private partnership consortium, London Luton Airport Operations Limited. Throughout the 1990s, £30 million was invested in Luton’s infrastructure and facilities. In November 1999, a new £40 million terminal was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip; the new building houses 60 check-in desks, baggage and flight information systems and a range of commercial outlets. During 2004/5, the departure and arrivals lounges and other facilities were redeveloped at a cost of £38 million.

The airport serves as a base for EasyJet, TUI Airways, Ryanair and Wizz Air. The vast majority of the routes served are within Europe, although there are some charter and scheduled routes to destinations in Northern Africa and Asia.

Airport News

Skip half-term queues with London Luton Airport's Prebook Security

London Luton Airport (LLA) has extended the hours for its free Prebook Security service that allows passengers to skip security queues by reserving a 30-minute slot ahead of their arrival at the airport. Now open between …

London Luton Airport first UK airport to achieve ACI accreditation

London Luton Airport (LLA) has become the first UK airport to achieve Level 3 of the Airports Council International (ACI) Customer Experience Accreditation.   The accreditation programme is designed to build airports' long-term capacity to enhance customer experience management …

London Luton Airport and Wizz host tour for Ukrainian students

London Luton Airport (LLA) and Wizz Air recently welcomed a group of high-flying Ukrainian students for a behind the scenes tour of the airport. The visit was organised as part of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) …

London Luton Airport invests in low-carbon vehicle transition

London Luton Airport (LLA) has taken another key step towards its ambition to achieve Net Zero* for its airport emissions by 2040, following a multi-million-pound investment in a fleet of sustainable car park transfer buses …

London Luton Airport achieves global first in employee well-being

London Luton Airport (LLA) has been announced as the first airport in the world to achieve certification against BSI’s Psychological Health and Safety Management scheme. The scheme is based on ISO 45003, the global best practice standard …

London Luton Airport launches new education programme

Volunteers from London Luton Airport (LLA) have hosted career and skills development workshops for more than 200 local Year 8 and Year 9 students.   Thirty staff from across the airport, including the Operations, Security, Sustainability, …

London Luton Airport shortlisted for UK customer service awards

London Luton Airport (LLA) has reached the final of the 2024 UK Customer Experience Awards (CXA), with two nominations. This year’s CXA shortlist sees LLA’s Guest Experience team nominated for Customer Experience Team of the Year …

'In the bag' - quicker security checks at London Luton Airports

Passengers travelling through London Luton Airport (LLA) no longer need to remove liquids and electronic items from their bags as they pass through security, following the successful roll-out of next generation security scanners. The completion of …

London Luton Airport lands European food & beverage award

London Luton Airport (LLA) has been voted as the standout European airport for food and beverage choice at the 2024 Food & Beverage (FAB) Awards held in Ontario, California.  The award was presented to LLA in …

London Luton Airport & Wizz Air lead the way with new generation fleet

London Luton Airport (LLA) has confirmed all Wizz Air aircraft based at the airport are now quieter, more fuel-efficient Airbus A321 Neos. The announcement follows an agreement between both parties to introduce the new generation …

Major upgrade for Luton Airport Express

London Luton Airport (LLA) passengers travelling via the Luton Airport Express are set to benefit from revamped facilities and even more enjoyable journeys, as the service operator, East Midlands Railway (EMR), embarks on a £27.6 …

Wizz Air Celebrates 70 Million Passengers Milestone at London Luton Airport

Wizz Air, Europe’s fastest-growing and most environmentally sustainable airline globally[1], today celebrates over 70 million passengers who have travelled to London Luton Airport (LLA). The milestone 70 millionth passenger was welcomed on a flight from Tirana …

London Luton Airport highlights top 10 travel trends for 2024

‘Swiftie Stays, ‘Destination Dupes’, and ‘Sistermoons’ are amongst the top travel trends to look out for this year as confidence returns to the travel market Travellers are willing to follow their favourite artist on tour …

London Luton Airport wins mental health and wellbeing award

London Luton Airport (LLA) has been recognised for its approach to promoting the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing across its workforce.  LLA’s Health and Safety team received the prestigious ‘Best Approach to Mental Health …

Wizz Air Resumes Route from London Luton to Moldova

Wizz Air, Europe’s fastest growing and most environmentally sustainable airline globally*, today announces a resumption of the route from London Luton Airport to Chisinau in Moldova. The airline will reconnect the Moldovan capital with London with the move …

Contact

London Luton Airport
Airport Way
Luton
Bedfordshire
United Kingdom
LU2 9LY
  • 01582 405100

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