Wizz Air acquired slots from the previous Monarch portfolio at Luton from the administrators back in 2017, sufficient to cover five (?) based aircraft. I don't believe the value of those slots was ever publicly announced but the indication was that the transaction definitely did have a monetary value - so it is reasonable to assume that Wizz have indeed paid TUI for the slots this time around.

Self Approval of increased pax limit
 

The following extract from Bim Afolami (MP Harpenden and Hitchin) may throw more light on the subject....
I have hosted public meetings to discuss the impact of flight noise and local pollution over the past two years, and I have held several formal and informal meetings with local campaigners fighting to stop the airport making our case to Luton Airport, the Government, and the Civil Aviation Authority. I also held a debate in Parliament following the announcement that the airport would seek to increase passenger numbers from 18 million to 32 million. During this debate the Government confirmed for the first time ever, that Luton Airport will not be allowed to expand beyond its current 18 million passenger limit with approval from Planning Inspectorate in central Government - so Luton Borough Council (who own the airport) will not be able to approve its own planning application....

The council were never expecting to approve their own planning application as it was so big which is why the council is going down the path of a DCO (Development Consent Order) . So far the council has spent £40 million on the DCO but then it would seem the council has unlimited funds while at the same time it cuts council services. Actually £40 million is small change as the running total is around £460,000,000 and they might not get planning permission. Never mind, the council tax payers can pick up the debt as the existing council will jump ship at the first sign of trouble.

It should be noted though that they have separated bits of the expansion like the first phase of the Dart (£225 million) and the dual carriageway (£170 million) so they could give themselves planning permission but the rest of it goes to Government. As time goes on it will be harder for the Government to give planning permission when they are trying to cut emissions. As for Luton Council, they just don't care and are a fairly uneducated lot who lost the plot years ago.

If you told someone not so many years ago that slots in LTN would actually be traded for actual money in the future, I think you'd be excused of being off your head.

The physical changes to the airport are staggering. I can well remember the airport before the tunnel was dug when access was via local roads. I used to play with the terminal tannoy in the knowledge that the terminal was void of any passengers.

Luton is now handling more pax in a year than Heathrow did in 1968 (14m). And even then, Heathrow had three terminals.

18,112,000 So much for the legal cap but then LLAOL operates under a nod and a wink understanding with the council. One thing is for sure and that is the council won't be rushing to enforce a cut in its income.

Anyone remember the planning application for the 1999 new terminal? The council claimed its capacity was 5 million so they could vote through their own application. That 5 million terminal is now exceeding 18 million

Yes, that's how Britain works!

So it looks like Xmas Day this year will be one of, if not the busiest ever for LTN. Appears that WZZ are running a full programme on their northern and eastern European routes.

Wouldn't expect anything else, most of Europe the big day is 24th.
Farnborough is closed 25/26th so it will be busy for FBOs as well.

Don’t seem to remember there were many flights last Christmas

We discussed this last year, WZZ had 30 along with TOM and VLG so will see what occurs this year.

Quite a few of the Wizz Air flights on 25/12 are fully booked (to my great surprise!).

Chatting to some ground support staff & they are certainly not impressed with having to work tomorrow!.....There's likely to be a high sickness rate!!

I posted about this very subject yesterday although I have no idea where the post went. It used to be the case that just skeleton crews would come in. Even the tower was on reduced hours and would randomly shut. I can remember one year when all the apron flood lighting was switched off on Christmas Day. Only ever seen that happen once.

LBS....Glad you have this Christmas off. I've worked plenty over my time at LTN (including dealing with an AOG aircraft on Christmas day!) These busy Christmas day programs at LTN only started last year so I can understand why some staff are not that happy! We try and work a rota so you never work two Christmas days two years in a row (and that's with very limited manpower)

Seasons Greetings to all

In any workplace where performance is managed, throwing a sickie is unlikely to be allowed to pass unnoticed. Even more so when remaining colleagues have to pick up the slack. And especially in an environment such as airport operations when working at Christmas is not only normal but will have been planned months in advance. T&Cs for ground staff are miserable and I feel for them but working Christmas is not a surprise.

throwing a sickie is unlikely to be allowed to pass unnoticed

Unfortunately, throwing a sickie is all too common with some of LTN's handling agents and the rapid turn-over of staff reflects this!

Christmas day working at LTN is a recent thing for many staff so I have some sympathy for those who joined before the Wizz invasion!

Plenty of sympathy yes, but it is now a major airport in this country and should come to be expected.

LHR will be very busy tomorrow; clearly not as busy as normal ops, but still many flights many of which to destinations where they very much celebrate Christmas tomorrow - it's a cheaper day to fly. There will be many no doubt heading to JNB for the first test match on Boxing Day as an example.

How many flights are scheduled?

66 I believe, and that is without any EZY departures at Luton. EZY have a small program from LGW and running about 380 sectors around Europe, next year expect more!

ltn
 

inc 2 BA deps...............................

A quick count of the boards shows 66 departures and 58 arrivals but they both run out of room so there might be more. Also I think 4 Wizz came in during the early hours that are now not showing so that makes at least 128 movements.

Not much public transport today so today is the day of the car.

Freight I would assume, usual codeshare A300F

Drove through the back of the airport at lunchtime and could not see any vacant stands just a mass of Easyjet and a few Ryanair aircraft with not a Wizz in sight. Without the first wave of Easyjet departures I was wondering where the inbound Wizz parked as I would not have thought the Wizz based aircraft would have provided enough spare stands.

About 40 FBO movements as well, a few would normally use Farnborough.

Actual number - 134 airline movements

The last update of caa statistic of November 18.127.372, what is happened now? If the maximum allow is only 18.000.000

The airport in collusion with the council only count certain passenger types so the airport in their eyes is still below 18 million at just over 17.9 million. In the short term the airport has imposed restrictions for 2020 which allegedly stopped Air India coming to Luton. For 2021 they expect the council to raise passenger limits to 19 million which will happen seeing they own the asset. It will then be gradually increased to 22.5 million regardless of the planning application for a second terminal which will go to government.

In reality, how can you manage this anyway? You can't second guess how many passengers are going to turn up for a certain flight and for sure you cannot impose load factor quotas on certain flights.

18m passenger will probably equate to 20m seats - but if you have higher than expected load factors, you're always going to go over the top.

Correct, it is a limit in words only. Is there a legal precedence on what the limit it? Actual pax turning up? Booked seats, available seats? Seats on sheduled flights only?

A question about Air India, reported by many sources, despite the preference of a Slough MP that the Amritsar route should run via Luton, I think it was at the limit of the range if a 788 from Luton's runway. With them now starting Mumbai which is 450miles further, would this have been technically a bridge to far anyhow?

I would expect that it is monitored based on planned flights e.g. airline tells airport we would like to operate X flights using Y a/c = Z number of seats and airport should be saying no, you need to reduce by Q% if the planning limited is exceeded. There maybe an adjustment made to take account of load factor e.g expected pax rather than availbale seats, but I would expect that it can only be managed in advance by the number of planned flights.

Managed in advance - the schedules are out up to 12-18 months in advance!

Using the airports own measuring criteria Luton could be in breach of its planning permission probably in November if passenger numbers continue to grow but the council takes a report from the airport operator only every 3 months plus up to 28 additional days. The 18 million limit is for commercial passengers only so excludes infants and non paying passengers.

The airport operator has put a ban in place for any increase in movements but that still allows larger aircraft to be used. When the airport busts 18 million commercial passengers this will allow pressure groups to make complaints to the council but it is doubtful if the council will take any action when there is a pending planning application to increase passengers to 19 million. Remember Luton Airport is Luton Borough Council.

Just new routes and charters? Source please.
Euro 2020 with a few games in London this summer.