gilesdavies, That photo IS from the terminal you are talking about. When the new departure lounge was built in 1985 the check-in desks were moved to either side. Monarch's baggage belt went under the check-in area's floor. I guess the tunnel is still there to this day.
http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/4760/2nge.jpg



The new lounge opened in 1985 before the duty free shop was built. As already stated there were more seats then than there is now! Years later a mezzanine floor was added to increase capacity and later still when the pier was added it was accessed by breaking through a high level glass section to the right of the clock.

This departure lounge had a full height screen that could be moved across to create a smaller lounge for domestic flights to Belfast which I think can be seen straddling the clock.


http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/328/pwnp.jpg


http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3656/sj0s.jpg

Could I suggest setting up a separate Luton thread in the Aviation History & Nostalgia section ? Perhaps it might better attract those who have an interest in Luton's past and allow this thread to focus on Luton's present and future ?

Aviation History and Nostalgia - PPRuNe Forums

Yes you could suggest it but when there is not much happening I would have thought a bit of drift does no harm for us old timers. Anyway the past is linked to the present and the future. Much of the airports infrastructure goes back to the 1960's so is relevant to the present.

How far can we go back on this thread? The CTA has been laid out now for around 13 years so can we still talk about it? The old terminal is still in use but is somewhat different to its original layout but you would like us not to mention it?

I add the odd historic photo here because there is real interest from many people who often forget Luton roots and how things were even though they were around Luton at the time. We can all celebrate what has happened to Luton over the years, what is happening now and what will happen in the next 10 to 15 years. As I have all ready stated the past, present and future are all linked.:ok:

Well said LUTONMAN

Great to see these photos of the old Luton airport, please keep posting them! Takes me right back to my youth & my many visits to the airport around that time. I well remember the old terminal set up with the Britannia desks on one side & Monarchs on the opposite side, with each handling not just their own flights but certain other airlines that used the airport at the time.

That is not going to happen! Posting old pics of LTN is for a thread to be started in Aircraft History and Nostalgia. This thread must stay on topic of things happening at LTN yesterday, today and tomorrow - get the point.

By all means start a thread in AH&N.

I am closing this thread but again, feel free to start another called LUTON 8