Luton Airport records best 12 months in 80-year history

London Luton Airport (LLA) welcomed a record 15.7m passengers in 2017.

The total, marking an increase of 8.6% in comparison to 2016, means the last 12 months were the busiest in the airport’s 80-year history.

LLA is now preparing to expand with the opening of its newly extended terminal building, giving passengers access to a wider array of shops and restaurants.

The project will also create an enhanced boarding pier with eight new boarding gates.

Elsewhere, LLA said it will offer holidaymakers a broader range of travel options this year. Eight new routes are available with Wizz Air and five with easyJet, to destinations including Cyprus, Iceland, Genoa and Reus.

The airport also confirmed that with demand for air travel continuing to soar in the South East, it will be investing £150m to raise its annual capacity by 50% by 2020.

LLA chief exec Nick Barton said: “2017 has been another record breaker at LLA, and we look forward to welcoming even more passengers as we enter our 80th year.

“Throughout 2018, passengers will see the airport transformed as we officially open our new terminal and reach the first phase of construction for the Mass Passenger Transit system, which will replace the current shuttle bus and create a rapid link between the train station and the terminal.”

He continued: “However, this is only part of the solution to better public transport links and is why we continue to call on the government for four fast trains per hour between central London and Luton Airport Parkway.”