London Luton Airport has received the green light from the UK Government to increase its annual passenger capacity from 19 million to 32 million, in a decision expected to transform the town's economy and create thousands of new jobs.

The expansion proposal, brought forward by Luton Rising, the airport's owner, was welcomed by London Luton Airport Operations Limited (LLAOL), the operator jointly owned by Aena and InfraBridge. The project includes wide-ranging sustainability commitments under a ‘Green Controlled Growth’ model, introducing legally binding limits on noise, emissions, air quality, and transport access. The framework will be independently monitored, making it one of the most ambitious environmental pledges by any UK airport.

Once complete, the expansion is expected to generate up to 11,000 jobs and inject an additional £1.5 billion into the economy every year. It will also deliver one of the largest infrastructure developments in the region in recent years.

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Alberto Martin, Chief Executive Officer, London Luton Airport said: "We welcome today's approval from Government, which now provides Luton with a generational opportunity to transform the town and our region's economy. Once complete, these plans will generate an additional £1.5 billion for the economy every year and create up to 11,000 jobs. Our priority now is to finalise a commercial agreement with Luton Council to renew our successful partnership so together we can deliver on the Government’s growth policy, and make the expansion plans a reality as soon as possible. This will put Luton at the heart of a collective mission to achieve sustainable economic growth."

Rodrigo Marabini Ruiz, Director of International Subsidiaries at Aena said: "Increasing the airport’s capacity by 70% sustainably will require an investment and operating partner with specialist skills and expertise and, as the world’s largest airport operator, we are ready to support Luton’s next chapter. LLA contributes a sizeable proportion of Luton Council's revenue each year, and we are proud to operate one of the UK’s most community-driven infrastructure assets that is focused on making a positive impact for that purpose."

Construction and planning for the expansion will now proceed, with LLAOL and Luton Council expected to reach a commercial agreement in the coming months.