Luton airport’s expansion has been approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander despite a recommendation she reject it. The Cabinet minister gave the go-ahead to the Bedfordshire airport’s plan regardless of advice from the Planning Inspectorate that she should turn it down over environmental concerns.
The move comes as Labour is scrambling to deliver on the economic growth the party promised. A Government source said: “The Transport Secretary has approved the expansion of Luton airport for its benefits to Luton and the wider UK economy.
“The decision overturns the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation for refusal.
“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.
“This is the 14th development consent order approved by this Labour Government, demonstrating we will stop at nothing to deliver economic growth and new infrastructure as part of our plan for change.”
The Tories welcomed the decision but warned that Labour had “killed growth stone dead”.
Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: “The Government’s approval of Luton Airport’s expansion is a welcome development. This decision has the potential to boost the local economy and enhance connectivity across the UK.
“However, it is clear Labour still do not understand that backing projects that will take years to complete will not mitigate against the impacts of their punishing jobs yax, which will devastate the economy, kill jobs and make every working household £3,500 worse off.
“Labour inherited the fastest-growing economy in the G7, but by talking down the economy, increasing tax levels to a record high, and undermining business confidence, they have killed growth stone dead and families are paying the price. Unlike Labour, the Conservatives understand that when you harm businesses you extinguish the embers of growth.”
The project is centred on raising the airport’s cap on annual passenger numbers from 18 million to 32 million by the mid-2040s, allowing its runway to be used for 77,000 more flights per year than it saw in 2024.
Luton was the UK’s fifth busiest airport last year, with 16.9 million passengers travelling on 132,000 flights.
Development consent orders are used to obtain permission for nationally-significant infrastructure projects.
One of the roles of the Planning Inspectorate – an executive agency of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – is to consider applications and make recommendations to the relevant Secretary of State.
