Luton airport has received UK government approval for a major expansion, overriding a recommendation from planning inspectors to reject the project on environmental grounds.
The airport to the north of London had sought planning permission to increase its annual passenger capacity from 18mn to 32mn.
The major expansion does not include a new runway, but will involve the construction of new infrastructure, including a new terminal and taxiways and aircraft stands.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander on Thursday announced she had approved the development consent order for the scheme, which will support 4,200 new jobs.
“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,” said a government official.
The Planning Inspectorate advised refusing the application because of environmental concerns, including the impact on the “relative tranquillity” of the nearby Chiltern Hills. The expansion will mean planes cross the scenic area every 15 minutes instead of the current 30 minutes.
The Labour government has swung behind airport expansion in a bid to boost economic growth, including most controversially a potential third runway at Heathrow, Europe’s biggest airport.
Alexander in March also signalled she would approve a second runway at Gatwick if the airport makes changes to its plans, but delayed a final decision until later this year.
All of London’s major airports currently have plans to boost their passenger numbers. Stansted and City airports have had their proposals approved in recent months.
If all the plans are approved, the expanded London airports could handle 309mn passengers annually — an 85 per cent increase on the 167mn travellers who used the airports in 2023, according to a Financial Times analysis.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves earlier this year said airport expansion was compatible with the government’s legally binding net zero 2050 target, pointing to “cleaner and greener flying” through so-called sustainable aviation fuels.
Karim Fatehi, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomed the news: “This decision to allow Luton to build a new terminal and other critical facilities paves the way for vital economic growth.”
Gareth Bacon, Conservative shadow transport secretary, also said the approval was a “welcome development” with the potential to enhance connectivity across the UK.
But climate groups have argued that major increases in passenger numbers will be incompatible with the 2050 target.
Jenny Bates, air pollution and transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said the government should not have approved the “highly damaging” project.
“It beggars belief that while the UK has multiple wildfire warnings in place — which are made more likely by climate change — following the driest and sunniest March for the last 60 years, airport expansion is being given the greenlight,” she said.
