Nooks and crannies comes to mind or squeezing a quart into a pint pot. It must be a full time job for the tug drivers to move aircraft that are buried 2 or 3 deep to get them to the front of the apron for departure

This photo taken a few years ago highlights Luton's problem

https://i.imgur.com/jHo6XVB.jpg

I was always amazed how they fitted them all in! Bit of a B****r if the one at the back suddenly decided to depart a few days earlier than planned!

New timeline for the completion of works announced by the airport:
March 2018 - Pier B
Spring 2018 - Terminal Infill
Summer 2018 - Immigration Area and Security Phase 2
Autumn 2018 - Baggage Hall

Bottom line, another 13 months of work in the terminal which is what I expected. That is assuming there are no more delays.

Plus the added works for the new MSCP and drop off which aren't included. It's all going to lead to another horrible summer for passengers and staff.

They were going to put in a temporary drop off area for next summer but that plan must have been dropped otherwise there would be no short term car park for next year with work starting on MSCP2.

So for next summer the congestion looks like more of the same. In 2019 work should then start on the new station which will be a year late in starting once the drop off area has moved into the new multistory.

Then there is the cut and cover tunnel through the CTA. I guess there is nothing stopping that work starting next year as planned.

Looking back on old photos the arrivals waiting area closed on 2nd June 2015 so as far as I am concerned the existing terminal project already goes back 28 months.
https://i.imgur.com/HSOgmpL.jpg

After nearly 50 years of making LTN its home, the final Monarch bird left for the last time today... :sad:

What now for the former HQ? The building is T shaped so is bigger than it first looks with what looks like a flight simulator building attached at the bottom of the T.

Easyjet converted one of H89 aircraft bays for more office accommodation a few years back so I doubt that Monarch’s HQ is big enough for them.

Seeing that Flight Safety Boeing’s former European HQ was turned into a hotel this would be a much easier project if this building met the same feat.

Not quite, still one there today on or around stand 11

G-MARA left at 12:07 UK time today

LTN CEO on Radio 4 early this morning stating Monarch`s pax thruput at LTN was 900,000 PA.

It was 4.5% in 2016 which would make around 675,000 passengers. Whatever the figure it is still a big hit when added to the lost Copenhagen figure of 767,000. One route and one airline comes to around 1.6 million passengers lost. I think Luton will see a hit next year but my views on that are quite clear as Luton will still be over capacity for much of next year.

CEO stated 6% & 900K...

Top 20 Routes (Jan-Sep 2017)
 

1. Amsterdam - 571,934
2. Budapest - 442,298
3. Bucharest - 429,357
4. Barcelona - 389,882
5. Warsaw - 333,953
6. Tel Aviv - 313,471
7. Malaga - 278,453
8. Faro - 272,368
9. Dublin - 270,000
10. Palma de Mallorca - 253,451
11. Belfast - 251,183
12. Cluj-Napoca - 249,984
13. Katowice - 238,136
14. Copenhagen - 235,335
15. Geneva - 230,030
16. Edinburgh - 228,902
17. Gdansk - 224,177
18. Alicante - 219,120
19. Sofia - 216,967
20. Paris - 214,334

Source: LLA

I just had another read, the 4.5% was the percentage of movements not passengers so I need to correct my figure to 1,667,000 passengers lost if Copenhagen is included although there is still a token service on the route which the above table does not reflect.

Going back to Monarch, I doubt it would have happened but it would have been nice for the last Monarch to leave Luton to have done a flypast across the apron to allow those that remain in whats left of Monarch to savor the moment and to shed a tear.:{

Still can't believe they have gone.

I understand the sentiment but unfortunately business & reality are harsh masters..
Flight deck crew almost certainly sub contracted by the lessor & have no wish to jeopardise their own position.
I think a CLX crew were dismissed or certainly disciplined for wing waving a B748F departing BFI on a delivery flight.
We will be left to pay our respects to the type that started it all namely the Britannia parked/exhibited at Duxford in full livery perhaps.
Blimey I remember it being delivered into there during an air show!.

Won't deny I shed a tear watching that - so many memories watching Monarch planes at LTN - 1'11's, 720's, 737's, 757's, A300's, A320's and A321's.

I still can't quite believe that Monarch no longer exist - a Luton Airport without Monarch just doesn't feel right :(

Saying passenger numbers will be down in part due to easyJet/Ryanair stopping their crazy war of 4x daily services to Copenhagen, is rubbish!

If this was the case why was the airport still reporting record growth this summer, after both airlines had removed the crazy over capacity on the CPH route. The 4x daily service was operating last summer too and after its cancellation passenger numbers have continued to grow.

easyJet has already replaced this capacity by opening up new routes and increasing capacity on existing routes.

With the exception of the morning rotation to Copenhagen by Ryanair which was operated by a Kaunas based aircraft (KUN-LTN-CPH-LTN-KUN), all others were operated by Luton based Ryanair aircraft. It would appear Ryanair have found other routes to replace Copenhagen for these based aircraft, as I'm not seeing any parked up for a few hours each day.

Luton is probably going to be hit least hardest in terms of passenger numbers, with regards to Monarch, compared to the likes of BHX and MAN.
I think numbers will plateau next year, but any dip in numbers will be a blip and soon recover.
Provided the Thomas Cook routes go ahead and base an aircraft here next summer we've already absorbed the loss on one Monarch aircraft.

As a general rule Monarch birds flew roughly two return sectors a day or eight flights for the four based aircraft. The airport only needs to find another six return sectors a day to be back at a similar number.

With Wizz constantly upgrading routes to LTN from the A320 to the A321, the additional numbers here will plug some of the gap. Plus I'd expect some moderate growth from them and easyJet who seem to grow ops years on year.

If Blue Air or Vueling add any new routes too, I think numbers will be very similar.

I've noticed Vueling were operating three flights a day to Amsterdam on the odd day or two a week.

The biggest threat to Luton and passenger numbers is the delicate situation Spain is in right now. If Catalonia declare independence were probably looking at Yugoslavia type civil war and other regions breaking away from Spain too. If that happens flights to Spain will drop off a cliff edge!

True, Despite these being on A321's, seating 214, their Loadfactors were around 85%(ish), meaning 100% on Easyjet/RYanair's 180-189 seaters. not an impossible task, and i'm sure SOMEONE will be snapping those slots up soon. Almost business as usual after this, but like everyone else, LTN doesn't feel the same without the 'yellow/purple variety'

No Ryanai parked up of course- but there is still almost the equivalent of a fifth unit considering that on some days we have visitors from Kaunus, Malta and Faro.