Airport could triple in size.
Plans drawn up for 30 million passengers.
Dramatic plans for the growth of London Luton Airport to cope with up to 30 million passengers a year are being drawn up by aviation chiefs.
Airport parent company TBI is engaged in top level talks with Luton Borough Council to extend its franchise and allow huge new investment to triple the size of the airport.
It is part of a wider plan, with the company vying to steal the thunder of Stansted Airport, and lure traffic away from their eastern region rivals.
Company chiefs are already trying to persuade Ryanair to quit Stansted and make Luton its main operational base.
But even before the council gives its approval for an extension of its franchise, TBI is making an immediate investment of £30million over two years in a move which will increase the number of passengers from seven million to 12 million.
Opponents of schemes for the expansion have feared huge passenger growth since the Government gave its approval to new runway proposals last year.
But the TBI decision to have active talks with the council now underline its determination to press ahead.
TBI already has a 30-year franchise on the airport agreed with the council, but chief executive Keith Brooks wants an extension of that time scale to justify multi-million pound investments.
A council spokeswoman would only say: "We understand TBI would like to extend the concession but their ambitions to do that have not progressed beyond initial discussions."
There was also reluctance to discuss growth plans at the airport, where it was considered they came under the umbrella of corporate confidentiality.
Expansion during the next two years will almost double the airport's retail and catering space. There will be a new pier, immigration hall, arrivals and onward travel areas, eight gates added and aircraft aprons will be increased by two.
TBI plans for Luton were highlighted in the group's interim financial results published this week, which showed group operating profit up 64 per cent to £24.1m.
Outlining his company's bid to persuade Ryanair to come to Luton, Mr Brooks said: "We have an unblemished record of filling every new Ryanair or easyJet plane launched at Luton. Our infrastructure is every bit as good as Stansted's and our transport links are better. Put it this way, I'd be very surprised if Ryanair stayed there."
In the first six months of last year, passenger numbers at Luton increased by nine per cent to 4.1 million.
18 November 2004
