Luton Seeks Second Runway
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Luton Seeks Second Runway
The Times - December 06, 2002
Luton airport seeks a second runway
By Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent
LUTON Airport would become as big as Heathrow and handle more than ten times its present number of passengers under an expansion plan proposed by its owners yesterday. The runway there would be lengthened and a parallel runway built on farmland southeast of Luton. The extra capacity would mean that no new runway would be needed at Heathrow, the airport said in its submission to the Government’s consultation on how to accommodate a tripling in air passenger numbers by 2030.
The two runways could be open by 2012 and handle 83 million people a year, as opposed to the 6.5 million who used the airport last year. Paul Kehoe, managing director of Luton Airport, said that the plan included a new motorway between the M1 and A1 and a rail link connecting the Midland Mainline and the East Coast Main Line. He said that no housing would have to be demolished.
Three woodlands, however, would have to be removed and several towns and villages, including Harpenden and Redbourn, would suffer a great increase in aircraft noise.
Nicola Ball, a Harpenden resident leading a campaign against the expansion, said: “The company should be held to account for the immediate impact its announcement will have on people’s lives.”
EasyJet, the budget airline which operates more than half the flights from Luton, was unimpressed by the plan. A spokesman said that the airport suffered from fog and snow because of its location on a hill. “We would prefer to see development of Stansted, which has a lot more space on the airport site and better road and rail connections.”
In July the Government proposed expanding Luton’s capacity to 31 million passengers a year by replacing the runway with one able to accommodate wide-bodied jets. Mr Kehoe said a more ambitious expansion would allow Luton to break BAA’s strangehold on London airports. It owns Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick.
Luton airport seeks a second runway
By Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent
LUTON Airport would become as big as Heathrow and handle more than ten times its present number of passengers under an expansion plan proposed by its owners yesterday. The runway there would be lengthened and a parallel runway built on farmland southeast of Luton. The extra capacity would mean that no new runway would be needed at Heathrow, the airport said in its submission to the Government’s consultation on how to accommodate a tripling in air passenger numbers by 2030.
The two runways could be open by 2012 and handle 83 million people a year, as opposed to the 6.5 million who used the airport last year. Paul Kehoe, managing director of Luton Airport, said that the plan included a new motorway between the M1 and A1 and a rail link connecting the Midland Mainline and the East Coast Main Line. He said that no housing would have to be demolished.
Three woodlands, however, would have to be removed and several towns and villages, including Harpenden and Redbourn, would suffer a great increase in aircraft noise.
Nicola Ball, a Harpenden resident leading a campaign against the expansion, said: “The company should be held to account for the immediate impact its announcement will have on people’s lives.”
EasyJet, the budget airline which operates more than half the flights from Luton, was unimpressed by the plan. A spokesman said that the airport suffered from fog and snow because of its location on a hill. “We would prefer to see development of Stansted, which has a lot more space on the airport site and better road and rail connections.”
In July the Government proposed expanding Luton’s capacity to 31 million passengers a year by replacing the runway with one able to accommodate wide-bodied jets. Mr Kehoe said a more ambitious expansion would allow Luton to break BAA’s strangehold on London airports. It owns Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick.
Join Date: Jul 2002
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I wonder just what kind of substances some of these people have been ingesting-a plan much less in extent was turned down at public inquiry in the seventies-do they really think Luton will get permission now, and just where will all the extra infrastructure go?-wigmore park and all the other housing wasn't there then!
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On top of a hill seems a brilliant idea, less distace to reach cruise alt and less distance from top of descent to landing!
Surely a low cost formula?
My cage is on top of a hill, all I can see are gliders and rhino! I can also see those long necked orange and white horses, but I dont like them, they eat the leaves and other things whilst I am sleeping in my fav tree!
Surely a low cost formula?
My cage is on top of a hill, all I can see are gliders and rhino! I can also see those long necked orange and white horses, but I dont like them, they eat the leaves and other things whilst I am sleeping in my fav tree!
