Originally Posted by
LGS6753
As a freemarketeer, I reiterate that the cap is ridiculous and bureaucratic. It is ridiculous because it limits the ability of passengers to fly from/to where they want, and airlines to use the airport they choose. It is bureaucratic because it gives the decision on where flights can be offered from to the bureaucrats of Luton Borough Council, or some Government planning quango.
These people don't know best. If passengers, airlines and the airport authority are happy to allow more passengers to use the airport, why should a bunch of unelected, non-specialist bureaucrats stop them? If the airport becomes overcrowded, passengers and airlines will choose to go elsewhere, or put pressure on the airport to increase capacity.
At all times, all the participants know that operations must be safe and comply with the regulations that apply everywhere else. But setting a cap on passenger numbers is intellectually indefensible - it has no impact on noise, pollution, air or ground congestion. It merely inconveniences the "man in the street" who wants to fly.
/Rant mode off.
You make no mention about the residents and communities that would be affected by increased passenger numbers that are presently protected by the existing planning permission. In your eyes they don’t matter. The planning committee is meant to way up all views and opinions before making a decision about an increase in numbers. The fact that they won’t is well known. You seem to be advocating that any planning permission should be ignored.
What about if a builder got planning permission to build a 1000 houses. You seem to be saying he should then be allowed to ignore that permission and build as many as he likes if the demand is there.
Also it isn’t the council deciding where people can fly to as it remains the airlines that pick and choose where they fly. They can introduce new services by dropping weak destinations. What has happened is that for this year only it stops new airlines coming to Luton. If you consider the fact that for years no new airline has wanted to come to Luton this isn’t a big deal.
Finally you mention more choices for passengers. Luton’s restrictions means that ELAL will fly from Stansted this summer so I assume you are delighted.