London Luton Airport's £2.4 billion expansion will go ahead after the Supreme Court declined to grant campaigners a final permission appeal. The decision, made on July 31, clears the way for the airport to build a new terminal and upgrade its existing one, aiming to welcome 32 million passengers annually by 2043.
Expansion details
The airport, the UK's fifth-busiest hub, currently handles 17.5 million passengers. The expansion is expected to increase flight volumes from the current average of 65,000 to 68,000 flights per year to around 209,000 flights annually.
The project is projected to create 11,000 new jobs at the airport, with 4,400 of those in Luton town itself.
Airline impact
Luton Airport is home to carriers Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air. In April 2025, Jet2 joined the hub, introducing 17 new routes.
Paul Kehoe, Chair of Luton Rising, which owns the airport, called the clearance a "landmark moment". "We are very pleased to now have the certainty we have been working towards," he said. "As a community-owned organisation, every passenger travelling through our airport means more investment in local people and services."
