Originally Posted by
LTNman
Just a thought, £110 million is buying the airport an additional 6 million passenger capacity. So what is £200 million going to buy them when the airport will reach 18 million passengers without it? Hidden agenda's comes to mind but a terminal 2 would have to be outside the CTA so would not be served by the rail link and new aprons serving the existing terminal won't increase capacity when the existing terminal is already being maxed out.
As for the location of the station within the CTA maybe it will indeed be under the airport with just an entrance down to it. £200 million seems alot of money for a rail link that is just over a mile long so maybe the tunnel will go further than just under the taxiway?
I can't see a longer runway ever being built as Luton is doing very nicely without it and the odd departure that would need it would never cover the cost of building an extension on a hill that drops away.
The investment in the rail link will doubtless be worth it - it makes the airport an even more attractive proposition.
As for further development, if easyJet HQ can be relocated off airport as has oft been mooted then the big orange hangar can be pulled down, creating a huge space for terminal expansion.
Never say never on a runway extension. The rail link seemed unlikely for years and years but now it's happening although I agree there's little business case for it right now as Luton's bread & butter will remain low cost short haul