Government approves Luton Airport expansion

Responding to the Secretary of State for Transport’s announcement that she has approved Luton Airport’s application to increase its capacity, Jenny Bates, air pollution and transport campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:  

 “It's beggars belief that while the UK has multiple wildfire warnings in place – which are made more likely by climate change – following the driest and sunniest March for the last 60 years, airport expansion is being given the greenlight.  

 “The supposed economic argument for airport expansion has regularly been called into question, unlike the increased carbon emissions, exacerbation of the climate crisis, and greater local noise and air pollution, which are certain.  

 "Instead of approving this highly damaging project, based on the hope that new technologies will one day make flying green, the government should be investing in the green economy which grew by 10% and generated £83.1 billion for the UK in 2024." 

David Oakley-Hill, of Luton Friends of the Earth, said:

“We’re extremely disappointed that the Secretary of State has ignored Labour’s own ‘tests’ for expansion, particularly the increasingly urgent need to cut climate emissions, affecting our children’s future, and the impact on communities including noise and air pollution.  

 "When every flight burns highly-polluting and harmful fossil fuels, it is very worrying that the government has caved to pressure from the aviation lobby, and announced that Luton Airport can expand to 32 million passengers a year by building a second terminal.    

 "Increased flights and traffic will bring far more pollution, cause ill-health and early deaths for many residents, gridlock the east of the town and destroy Wigmore Park – a vital noise and pollution barrier between the airport and people’s homes.  

 "This decision sends out entirely the wrong message. The longer we put off action to tackle the climate crisis, the more costly and difficult to resolve it will become for us all."

ENDS