London Luton Airport (LLA) has officially opened its newly upgraded terminal, marking the culmination of LLA’s three-year transformation project.
The £160m (US$200m) redevelopment has been the biggest in the airport’s 80-year history, with significant improvements being made in the terminal and to the ways in which people get to and from the airport.
The transformation of the airport will increase its annual capacity by 50% to 18 million passengers by 2020. Since the work began, passenger numbers have increased 35%, with more than 16.5 million passengers expected to fly in 2018. This represents an increase of 5% on 2017.
The renovation includes 30 new high-street and luxury stores including Hugo Boss and Chanel; over 1,000 more seats and free wi-fi; a new boarding pier with eight additional boarding gates; an expanded security search area; and a new dual-carriageway, bus interchange and multi-story car parking area.
Nick Barton, CEO of London Luton Airport, commented, “2018 has been a milestone year for LLA. We celebrated our 80th anniversary in the summer and now we have completed our three-year transformation, which brings a host of benefits to passengers. This is a new era for LLA. We are the fastest-growing major London airport and are now in a position to play an increasingly important role in the UK’s aviation network.”