Luton Airport - Facts, Figures and History

Luton Airport Facts

London Luton Airport is the 7th largest airport in the UK.
6.5 million passengers used the airport in 2001.
78 per cent of passengers fly on scheduled services, 22 per cent on charter services.
72 per cent of passengers are on international flights, 28 per cent are on domestic flights.
Passengers travelled to 63 destinations from London Luton Airport in 1999.
The top ten most popular destinations from London Luton in 2001 were:
1. Glasgow
2. Edinburgh
3. Amsterdam
4. Nice
5. Malaga
6. Geneva
7. Belfast International
8. Barcelona
9. Dublin
10. Palma

Luton Airport History

In the Autumn of 1999 a new terminal was opened with 60 check-in desks, "state of the art" baggage handling and passenger information systems plus new retail and catering outlets. The existing terminal building was refurbished during 2000 and is now a larger airside departures and arrivals area with 12 high street shops, a food court area and an extended arrivals hall.

During the summer of 2000 Luton airport officially opened its first ever chapel. The chapel seats 30 people and can be used by people of all faiths as a quiet place for personal reflection.

Luton airport has a dedicated cargo terminal that handled 35,862 tonnes of cargo in 2001. London Luton Airport has an EU and MAFF approved airport border inspection post for livestock and handles numerous livestock and bloodstock flights. Some of the more unusual "freight" handled include 1000 sheep from New Zealand, 25 Cossack horses from the Ukraine and 470 Alpaca from Chile.

In Autumn 1999 a new railway station, London Luton Airport Parkway, was opened by the airport. The journey from Kings Cross takes less than 30 minutes and there are up to 11 trains every hour from the capital. A free shuttle bus takes passengers on the 1.8km journey to the terminal.