Luton airport sets passenger record
[January 19th 2009]
London Luton airport had a record 10.2 million passengers in 2008.
The airport says it was “unique among the major London airports in reporting positive passenger growth for 2008”. Passenger numbers at Luton increased by 2.5% in 2008, with an additional 250,000 passengers.
During 2008 no less than 13 new flights were launched from Luton. The airport reports that new destinations in France, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Romania proved popular along with the first low cost flights from the UK to the Ukraine.
“The figures show a continuing trend for travellers to choose London Luton Airport in the highly competitive South East UK market,” says Luton airport marketing director, Natalie Raper.
“With a constantly expanding choice of routes we now offer flights to over 90 destinations and continue to serve the requirements of both the business and leisure traveller,” Raper adds.
For 2009 Luton airport has already confirmed more new flights, to Lvov in the Ukraine, Prague and Jersey. Wizz Air Ukraine, the first low cost airline in Ukraine, launched new flights to Lvov on January 4th this year to add to the new flights to Kiev launched on December 17th.
In December Luton announced that it was the number 1 UK airport for passenger growth. According to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) figures, Luton handled the biggest increase in passenger numbers of any UK airport in the period from January to September 2008. An extra 487,311 passengers passed through the airport during that period, an increase of 6.5% compared to the previous year.
"We have achieved this position due to our excellent transport links to London, the South East and the Midlands as well as having one of the best airport catchment areas in the UK. This has been an encouraging year for us and shows just how attractive London Luton Airport now is to airlines and travellers alike," commented Luton airport managing director, Glyn Jones.
Among the airlines flying from Luton are easyJet, First Choice, Flybe, Monarch, Ryanair, SkyEurope, Thomson Airways, transavia.com and Thomas Cook.
Written by: Nick Purdom