LBS...Your enthusiasm for expanding LTN at any cost is well known on this thread. However, many of us who have always been big supporters of the airport in the past can see that the current situation with LLC & LLA is simply becoming a farce and its time for change!

Really? At the expense of the environment, destruction of open land and building a huge terminal on the doorstep of a large residential area. Not to mention the ever increasing debt level being accrued by a local council that seems to be happy to cut local services, whilst it meets it's repayment burden?

Just interested to know at what point would even you say enough is enough, 32m, 50m, 100m or more?

The only way to go above 32M pax would be a second runway and build South and thus bring Herts into the party!

Err, LGW currently around 46m on a single runway, STN planning more than 35m on a single runway. The LTN plan talks of 32m, for which - with the right runway capacity tools and configuration - one runway is more than enough.

FF

But much longer runways attracting bigger aircraft. Stand capacity as well, no room for more stands above what is planned. Currently LGW has 57 based airbuses!

The council is actually looking at 38million which is a figure already seen in some council publications. There are plans for an additional apron to achieve this figure.

Was, https://futureluton.llal.org.uk/

https://www.llal.org.uk/press-release.html

Just to make it clear, as stated above, the true figure is 36-38 million. The only reason it was dropped was that the council found out that by going for the upper figure they would have to pay for major M1 improvements. By going for 32 million they avoid the costs but they can then give themselves planning permission to add another 4 million later.

A single runway should comfortably be able to support 250K movements per year, and the DfT forecasts agree. Luton already sees an average of more than 160 pax per Air Transport Movement, this could give a theoretical runway capacity of 40m. The overall trend will continue to see increasing size of aircraft and passengers per flight. Its the transition of the multi sector a day A319 type through to A321 that will make the most difference, not the one rotation per day wide bodies. Of course there would need to be other changes, taxiways, stands etc. as well as loss of the existing corporate activity at LTN (much of which is already planned and in some cases already happening). The further expansion of LTN, STN and LGW is all more likely than R3 at LHR. None of it is certain of course.

FF

The 2020 Initial Co-ordination Report has been published by ACL.

If I read it correctly it shows no S20 FlyBosnia, no Air Serbia or Smartwings. In fact, the only operators are EasyJet, WizzAir, Ryanair, Blue Air, Level/Vueling, Sun Express, TUI, El Al, Freebird, DHL and MNG.
From the initial schedule, there are reduced ATMs by DHL, El Al, TUI and Vueling.

The ridiculous and bureaucratic passenger cap is obviously taking its toll across the board. In the peak week only 10 airlines will operate (Putting EZY/EJU together, WZZ/WUK together and Level/Anisec/Vueling together).

Yes it looks like the last Air Bosnia flight will be on 18 April. Not too surprising really, the airline is really struggling to keep going with one of there two Airbus aircraft has been returned to the lessor. On most days there is just one return service to Rome.

Yes 18M cap is hitting hard now.
An award, that's new for Luton!

https://www.airport-technology.com/n...accreditation/

It is not a ridiculous and bureaucratic passenger cap. They are just following the conditions of the previous planning application. They got away with it over the breach of the night noise limit for a number of years but now they have been rumbled.

I have no sympathy as LLAOL and the council have brought this on themselves. The council offered massive incentives to LLAOL to grow passenger numbers as fast as possible. They knew what the limit was and how fast it was approaching yet they wait until the 11th hour before doing something about it. Maybe they were arguing about whether LLAOL, LLAL or the council should put in the planning application to bust the councils own limit. Maybe the council has had to offer LLAOL more incentives to do their dirty work so their "dodgy" planning committee can approve it.

Given the scale of proposed expansion (i.e. in excess of 10 million increase in passengers) this is classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project and so is not determined by the local planning authority. The government will make the decision on whether to grant the necessary development orders, not the planning committee.

As a freemarketeer, I reiterate that the cap is ridiculous and bureaucratic. It is ridiculous because it limits the ability of passengers to fly from/to where they want, and airlines to use the airport they choose. It is bureaucratic because it gives the decision on where flights can be offered from to the bureaucrats of Luton Borough Council, or some Government planning quango.

These people don't know best. If passengers, airlines and the airport authority are happy to allow more passengers to use the airport, why should a bunch of unelected, non-specialist bureaucrats stop them? If the airport becomes overcrowded, passengers and airlines will choose to go elsewhere, or put pressure on the airport to increase capacity.

At all times, all the participants know that operations must be safe and comply with the regulations that apply everywhere else. But setting a cap on passenger numbers is intellectually indefensible - it has no impact on noise, pollution, air or ground congestion. It merely inconveniences the "man in the street" who wants to fly.

/Rant mode off.

In any one year over half the population don't fly at all, and 15 % make 70% of all flights. So what does the man in the street want?

Sorry you are wrong. The application for 32 million will indeed go to Government as a DCO but mini applications by LLAOL to increase capacity in small chunks up to a maximum of 22.5 million passengers within the airports existing boundary can and will be decided by the local planning authority. The first application for an extra million is on the councils planning portal.

You make no mention about the residents and communities that would be affected by increased passenger numbers that are presently protected by the existing planning permission. In your eyes they don’t matter. The planning committee is meant to way up all views and opinions before making a decision about an increase in numbers. The fact that they won’t is well known. You seem to be advocating that any planning permission should be ignored.

What about if a builder got planning permission to build a 1000 houses. You seem to be saying he should then be allowed to ignore that permission and build as many as he likes if the demand is there.

Also it isn’t the council deciding where people can fly to as it remains the airlines that pick and choose where they fly. They can introduce new services by dropping weak destinations. What has happened is that for this year only it stops new airlines coming to Luton. If you consider the fact that for years no new airline has wanted to come to Luton this isn’t a big deal.

Finally you mention more choices for passengers. Luton’s restrictions means that ELAL will fly from Stansted this summer so I assume you are delighted.

LTNMAN, You are getting very boring with your Airport bashing.
You have been over the years promoting airport expansion and getting more aircraft, airlines and passengers through the door.
Now because you brought a house very near to the said airport and the airport is going to get even closer to you, its nothing but whinge, whinge, whinge, you are a true NIMBY of the highest order.