The current debacle relating to the income generated via the passenger tax/charge and future further infrastructure investment is hardly surprising considering the nature of Town Hall politics. Believe me, the only interest a local politician has in the airport, it how much it will generate for the town until the next set of local elections! Looking beyond this requires in depth knowledge of the business, forward thinking and cool decision making. As I have said previously, something that appears to be lacking since the Town Hall turned a yellow orange!
Concession for a Peerage? A legacy from when the Town Hall was painted red? Income is a vote winner and something the No 10 rewards highly it would seem!.
Now here is a question and one that I cannot answer since I left the world of local politics: As the income generated by the airport grows, does LBC lose HM Govt subsidy proportionally? Or do the local politicians get to spend it all?
Look on the bright side, LBC may be left with the biggest and busiest Biz Jet airport outside of the USA when the concession expires, but not generating much in the way of concession tax from the few passengers using the dilapidated tinminal? Mr Franks and his cronies will by then, be assigned to names on the Roll of Honour plaque within the Town Hall lobby?
Based upon my comments above, if you were a local politician sitting down to perhaps re-examine the concession, would you be focused on getting the best deal for Luton folk in the long term, or be more focus on getting re-elected and spending the £millions now? I am in no way blaming the elected council, just demonstrating the driving force of local politics. I am assured that local politics in Spain is even worse so ACDL must have experience dealing with 'the system'?
So where does that leave the airport..........as old father bear once said..."BILMEY I don't have a clue"!
Are the Spanish renowned for their brinkmanship.....I wonder?