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23 new routes help London Luton Airport to busiest ever year

London Luton Airport recorded its busiest year ever in 2016, with passenger numbers up 18.5% as 23 new routes were launched.

The airport logged 14.5 million passengers, and has now seen 33 months of consecutive growth.

December saw a 24.6% rise in passenger numbers compared with the same month in 2015.

Airlines Vueling, Transavia, Adria Airways and Fly KISS all started flights from Luton in 2016, taking the number of airlines to 14.

A further 16 new routes are already confirmed for 2017, with Thomas Cook Airlines introducing three new routes from May.

Luton’s largest single investment in its 79-year history is currently underway, which will increase capacity by 50% from 12 million to 18 million passengers by 2020.

In 2017, work on the terminal extension is set to ‘gather pace’ and new restaurants and shops set to open.

Improvements are planned in the immigration hall while a new taxi rank, drop-off zone and dual-carriageway are all due to be completed early in the year.

Nick Barton, chief executive at London Luton Airport, said: “In a year when airport capacity has hit the headlines more than ever before, we’ve been working hard to meet demand.

“This year, passengers will start to see the benefits of the redevelopment. We’re also continuing our efforts to secure four fast trains per hour to Luton Airport Parkway as part of the upcoming East Midlands rail refranchising.”

 

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