You can have too much of a good thing. I think Luton is ticking along nicely in most areas and passenger numbers are around the right level to max out the terminal for some of the time without causing too much overcrowding. Spare capacity will be needed when work starts next year on upgrading the airport as no doubt there will be areas closed off for building work.
The airport needs to look at why Gatwick is so popular when all things are equal in getting to and from both airports, as it is clear that passengers have a clear preference for Gatwick over Luton and it isn’t difficult to see why.
One area of concern for me is the airports rail link. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City and Southend all have stations at the airport while Luton does not but these airports are not without issues.
Gatwick with its two terminals means that many passengers have to catch a shuttle train to swap terminals so they can get to the station. As the shuttle runs every few minutes this isn’t a big deal but it still adds to the total travel time as there is another component to their journey.
Stansted involves an extended rail travel time for what is basically just a 32 mile trip to the capital.
Southend is even worse with even a longer journey in both distance and time and a service that many passengers just can’t use because the rail operator only operates for around 18 hours a day in each direction with no early or late services.
Then we come to Luton with its 24/7, 7 trains an hour rail service to the capital with a travel time in as little as 22 minutes and a direct link to London stations that most airports can only dream of. The big issue is the shuttle bus. There used to be 4 high density flexi -busses used for the service and it used to be free. Now it is down to just 2 flexi-busses with 2 standard busses and the cost is £2. Gone are the days of just jumping on the bus as many passengers who don’t buy through tickets have to queue to buy a bus ticket.
Also while the airport station can be reached non-stop in 22 minutes this is an hourly service operated by East Midland trains. This needs at least doubling in frequency as the service is so good.
Both these issues seem to be the airports weak link.
