London Luton: Infrastructure & Construction Updates

[Aviador]

Is that finished?

I doubt it. Looks impressive all the same.

 

[juliet-fox-9]

The bridge being moved into place:

 

[juliet-fox-9]

Drone video of the route of the people mover

https://twitter.com/x/status/1226908434118803461

 

[Aviador]

Originally posted in a different thread elsewhere in the forum, here is a YouTube video of the latest proposals for Luton Airport which is seeking to increase passenger numbers to in excess of 30mppa.

 

[juliet-fox-9]

Luton airport faces government probe into expansion plans

Concerns over climate targets reportedly cited

travelweekly.co.uk

A government inquiry is to be held into expansion plans for Luton airport that were approved by a council.

The growth scheme had been backed by Luton Borough Council in December.

But the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) cited concerns over climate change targets and policies for enhancing the natural environment.

 

[airforced]

It looks like the NIMBYS and their friends have been hard at work again in their efforts to scupper a much needed improvement for passengers flying in and out of Luton. What suprised me, from the linked article, was that they were already handling 18m passengers a year which, from my memory of the airport, was quite some feat in a facility that had been added to over the years in a seemingly ad hoc manner. The sort of plans that have been passed by the Council were sorely needed and the Govt should not interfere. I wonder what tje Luton Plan B is?

 

[juliet-fox-9]

Luton Airport’s £260M autonomous light rail link delayed | New Civil Engineer

The rail link, known as Luton DART, was originally due to open in 2021 but was pushed back to the end of 2022 following delays during incurred during the

www.newcivilengineer.com

A spokesperson for airport owner Luton Rising has now announced that it will not open before the end of the year and instead is expected to begin operating in early 2023.

Construction costs for the project have risen from £225M to £261.7M, according to the council’s accounts for 2020/21.

 

[juliet-fox-9]

London Luton Seeks To Raise Passenger Cap To 32 Million | Aviation Week

The expansion proposals include new terminal capacity.

www.routesonline.com

The scheme includes new terminal capacity, an extension to the current airfield platform and new airside and landside facilities. Luton Rising also intends to enhance the surface access network and extend Luton DART, an automated light rail link due to open in March.

 

[juliet-fox-9]

Luton DART is now open - short documentary by Geoff Marshall. It costs £4.90 to use (£2.40 with a rail ticket and free for Luton residents).

 

[Aviador]

Luton airport masterplan.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Gosh how it has changed and is still developing.

I recall my only visit to Lulsgate as it was known then, was back in the late '60s when I was a spotter. I wrote - no emails in those days - to the Flying club anx asked whether I could visit their hangar. Back came the answer of course, just give us a call when you're in the terminal. Job done I thought.
On the day in question I duly called on an internal phone (if a recall correctly) anx was told to drive onto the apron, follow the taxiway around and cross the main runway - having checked for any landing traffic - before proceeding to the Flying club. The same process was then done in reverse after an enjoyable 30 minx or so collecting registrations and having a coffee.
Gosh how things have changed. Not just in terms of "freedom to roam" but obviously the amount of air (and road) traffic.

 

[Aviador]

The first time my parents flew was from Luton. They said back in the 60s they caught a bus from Leeds to Luton airport where they boarded their Britannia Airways flight to Alicante.

 

[Aviador]

With the Court of Appeal clearing the hurdle, when do we see actual movement on Terminal 2?

Now that the Court of Appeal has officially thrown out LADACAN’s late legal challenge to the DCO (Development Consent Order) expansion plans, the path is legally clear for Luton to push ahead toward that massive thirty-two million passenger target.

With the legal drama finally out of the way, what is the realistic timeline for construction to actually start on the new Terminal 2 and the accompanying taxiway expansions? Are we looking at minor terminal tweaks first to squeeze out extra capacity from Terminal 1, or do you think Luton Rising will want to get spades in the ground for the brand-new terminal building as soon as possible?

Jet2 has already fired the starting gun by announcing a major expansion here with five new routes and a fourth based aircraft, so the demand is clearly waiting. How do you see the next twelve to eighteen months panning out on the ground?

#LutonAirport