BBC News - Luton Airport 'wants 30 million passengers a year'
Passenger numbers at Luton Airport could nearly treble, to 30 million a year, under new proposals.
Owner London Luton Airport Ltd is in talks with the Planning Inspectorate about increasing passenger numbers from its current annual 11.5 million.
It already has plans, revealed in January, to increase footfall to 18 million passengers a year.
The new proposal has been criticised by Hertfordshire County Council. The airport's owner has not yet commented.
The proposals were revealed by the council after the figure was mentioned in discussions between the owner and the Planning Inspectorate.
The new application is set to be submitted in 2013.
Robert Gordon, leader of the county council, said: "I am stunned by this news.
"Local authorities and communities alike are worried at the speed with which even the current proposals to expand capacity up to 18 million people per annum are being progressed, but have engaged in the consultations and await any planning application in good faith.
"Make no mistake, this is a huge expansion proposal and represents a throughput not significantly different from that currently experienced at London Gatwick and 10 million people per annum more than currently experienced at London Stansted."
A spokesman for the Planning Inspectorate told the BBC that the figure of 30 million had been put forward in discussion with the airport's owner
He said the application for 30 million passengers was not being put in until the third or fourth quarter of 2013.
London Luton Airport Limited said it would be issuing a statement.