Luton Airport expansion: what has been approved, when it happens and what changes for passengers
The government approved London Luton Airport's expansion in April 2025. It will take capacity from 19 to 32 million passengers a year. Here is the timeline, and what it means now if you are flying from Luton.
Luton Airport's expansion was approved by the government on 3 April 2025, when the Transport Secretary granted a Development Consent Order allowing the airport to grow to 32 million passengers a year, from a limit of roughly 18 to 19 million. The growth is phased over about two decades: the existing terminal is enlarged first, and a second terminal follows much later. If you are flying from Luton in 2026, nothing about the terminal, the DART or the drop-off arrangements has changed because of it yet.
What the consent covers
A Development Consent Order is the planning route for nationally significant infrastructure. It is decided by a government minister after an examination by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than by the local council. Luton's order covers:
- extending and upgrading the current terminal to raise its capacity;
- a new second terminal, with additional aircraft stands and taxiways;
- road improvements around the airport and on the approaches to it;
- a framework the airport calls Green Controlled Growth, which sets limits on noise, air quality, carbon and how passengers travel to the airport, and can hold back growth if those limits are at risk.
The phases and rough timing
The airport's own phasing, summarised below, gives earliest dates rather than fixed ones. Each step depends on passenger demand and on meeting the conditions attached to the consent.
| Phase | What happens | Earliest timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The existing terminal is extended, taking capacity to about 21.5 million passengers a year | Not before 2027 |
| 2a | Work starts on Terminal 2 and the new airfield areas | Not before 2033 |
| 2b | Terminal 2 opens and capacity rises towards 32 million | Around 2041 or later |
The decision was challenged in the courts after it was granted, one reason the dates are expressed as "not before". Luton Rising, the council-owned company that owns the airport, publishes updates on the project if you want to follow the detail.
What it means if you fly from Luton in 2026
For now, the practical points are the same as they were before the decision.
The DART
The Luton DART shuttle links Luton Airport Parkway station to the terminal in a few minutes. A rail ticket to "Luton Airport" includes it, whereas a ticket only as far as Parkway does not. Our guide to getting between Luton and London compares the DART route with the coach and a car.
Drop-off and pick-up
Cars stopping outside the terminal pay a charge that rises the longer they stay, with payment due online before the end of the next day, or a penalty notice can follow. There is a free alternative in one of the outer car parks, linked to the terminal by shuttle bus, but it adds time at both ends. A pre-booked car avoids the question altogether, because the drop-off and pick-up charges are part of the fare.
The roads
From London the approach is the M1 as far as junction 10, while the A1081 comes in from Harpenden and the A505 from Hitchin. Overnight closures for roadworks on the M1 are common and matter most for the first flights of the day, so a driver collecting you at 3am checks the closures before setting off. From King's Cross a saloon is £112, about 55 min in light traffic; from Canary Wharf it is £127.
| Journey | Distance | Drive time* | Saloon | MPV | Executive | 9-seater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's Cross to Luton Airport | 33 miles | 55 min | £112 | £127 | £142 | £157 |
| Canary Wharf to Luton Airport | 53 miles | 1 hr 5 min | £127 | £142 | £157 | £172 |
One-way fixed fares, 4 Oct 2026. *Light traffic.
What may change later
Once phase 1 starts, expect building work around the terminal and possibly changes to the forecourt layout, drop-off lanes and walking routes. More capacity should also bring more flights over time, and perhaps new airlines and destinations. The airport will publish access changes as the work progresses; when you book, add the airline and the meeting point you have been given, so the driver works from the current arrangement rather than last year's. Fares from across London and Hertfordshire are listed on the Luton airport transfers page.