Left: A design rendering of the redeveloped terminal
Work began yesterday (January 21) on the redevelopment of the passenger terminal at London Luton Airport in the UK. The work is part of a wider £110m (US$157m) transformation project to increase the airport’s capacity by 50% from 12 million to 18 million passengers per annum by 2020.
The ground breaking ceremony was attended by Patrick McLoughlin, secretary of state for transport for the UK government, who praised the project for the role it will play in meeting the immediate demand for air travel in London, the South East and South Midlands.
McLoughlin, said, “The transformation of London Luton Airport is adding to the UK’s reputation for world class aviation infrastructure. Not only will its development help to meet demand for aviation but it will also create thousands of jobs.”
A recent report by independent consultancy firm Oxford Economics showed that the transformation program would add £1bn (US$1.4bn) to the UK economy and would create 10,000 additional jobs by 2030.
Nick Barton, CEO of London Luton Airport, said, “As the secretary of state made clear, expansion at Luton Airport is strategically vital to ensure that we can meet rapidly rising demand for air travel in the South East over the next 15-20 years. Our transformation project is also set to give a huge boost to the local economy and will create thousands of new jobs for local people.
“Passengers will benefit from a more efficient, friendly and convenient airport. We’re working hard to improve their experience further by seeking to introduce a dedicated new express rail service with four fast trains per hour and a fixed link to the terminal from Luton Airport Parkway train station.”
Engineering firm McLaughlin & Harvey were also announced as the principal contractors for the project at the ceremony, and will join existing contractors Buckingham Group and Whitemountain.