Key facts
- London Luton Airport's expansion plans have been approved by the Supreme Court.
- The approval follows the dismissal of a legal challenge by the Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (LADACAN).
- LADACAN's challenge focused on inadequate assessments of greenhouse gas emissions.
- The expansion aims to increase passenger capacity from 19 million to 32 million annually.
- The project is expected to create 4,200 new jobs and generate £1.5bn in economic activity.
- The decision was made on the same day Gatwick Airport's expansion was also cleared by the courts.
London Luton Airport's growth plan has received judicial approval after a campaign group's legal challenge was rejected by the UK's top court. The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge from Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (LADACAN), which had argued the decision was unlawful due to inadequate assessments of greenhouse gas emissions. The decision to reject the challenge was welcomed by the airport’s owner and local Labour MP Rachel Hopkins, who said the expansion would deliver a boost in jobs for the region. Paul Kehoe, chair of Luton Rising, the owner of London Luton Airport, stated this is a landmark moment for publicly-owned infrastructure. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander officially granted Luton Airport’s expansion last April, aiming to increase passenger capacity from 19 million to 32 million a year by building a new terminal, despite the planning inspectorate advising her to reject the application on environmental grounds. The expansion, expected to create 4,200 new jobs and be completed by the mid-2040s, will allow for an additional 77,000 flights a year. Luton Rising committed to investing £1 for every passenger above the current 19 million limit in a new community fund. The decision came on the same day that Gatwick Airport got the go-ahead on a second runway after a court dismissed a challenge from an environmental campaigner.