Summer 2017 was the busiest in the 79-year history of London Luton Airport (LLA) in the UK after it catered for 4.7 million passengers between June and August, a 7% increase compared with the same period last year.
In addition, 1.6 million passengers flew through the airport in August, a 6.8% rise compared with August 2016, marking the 41st consecutive month of growth for Luton.
To meet the escalating demand, LLA is carrying out the single biggest investment in its history to transform the airport and increase annual capacity by 50% by 2020. Since construction began in 2016, passengers have benefitted from an expanded security search area, new multi-story car park and new shops and restaurants. A new dual carriageway access road has also helped to alleviate congestion to and from the airport.
Approval has also been granted for a £200m (US$264m) mass passenger transit (MPT) system linking the airport terminal with Luton Airport Parkway station. Once complete, it will operate 24 hours a day and replace the current shuttle bus.
Nick Barton, CEO of LLA, said, “This summer we welcomed a record number of passengers to the airport, highlighting our continued popularity with business and leisure travelers alike.
“Upgrading our transport links is essential to meeting this demand. We want to create an express-style service with four fast trains per hour, which will speed up our passengers’ journeys and provide essential capacity.
“It will also allow us to make Luton Airport Parkway station an integrated transport hub which will benefit the UK, the Three Counties region and bring us in line with the other major London airports.”