Airport News
Luton Airport launches holograms
Wed, 02 Feb, 2011
London's Luton Airport has announced the introduction of holograms as part of a scheme to improve passenger experience.
Travellers passing through the facility will soon be greeted by holographic announcers, which will brief them on security updates.
Stationed between the check-in and departure lounges, the simulacrums - named Holly and Graham, are to be trialled in the coming weeks.
As part of their role, the holograms will inform passengers of the specifics of the security processes and their success will be measured by their impact upon efficiency in the sector.
Managing director at the facility Glyn Jones welcomed the trial - noting that Luton Airport is the first in the UK to boast the technology.
"We are confident that our two new staff members will help improve the experience for our passengers by communicating key security messages in a way which is both consistent and compelling," he said.
Last month, Manchester Airport rolled out its own holograms, which are used to brief passengers on the security process and encourage them to have their boarding passes to hand.
Luton Airport support local charity with �42,000 donation
Mon, 24 Jan, 2011
A local charity has benefited from the efforts of staff at Luton Airport, which saw them collect more than £42,000.
Employees at the London terminal worked during the year to raise funds for Keech Hospice Care as it was their chosen Charity of the Year for 2010.
A wide variety of charitable activities took place to drum up support for the hospice, ranging from a midnight walk to raffles and cake baking.
In addition, two of the employees went a step further and travelled to India to take part in a trek.
It was the second year the charity was supported by the airport, although 2010's total beat 2009's sum of £36,000.
Mike Keel, interim chief executive at Keech Hospice Care, said: "On behalf of the patients, families and staff at Keech Hospice Care, I would like to thank everyone involved at the airport."
Travellers planning to fly out from Luton Airport who have recently checked the website may have noticed it has had a re-design, something which it is hoped will make it easier to understand.
Manchester Airport and Birmingham Airport see launch of new routes
Tue, 20 Oct, 2009
Manchester Airport, Birmingham Airport and others around England are set to benefit from new routes announced by Monarch Airlines.
From this week, flights to Gran Canaria will begin to be operated from Manchester Airport, Birmingham Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
Starting tomorrow (October 21st 2009) the destination of Fuerteventura will be served with flights from London Luton Airport, London Gatwick Airport, Manchester Airport and Birmingham Airport.
Liz Savage, managing director of Monarch flights and holidays, said: "We are delighted to be expanding our network to the Canary Islands with the launch of scheduled flights to Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.
The flights will operate in addition to our existing routes from the airline going to Tenerife and Lanzarote.
Monarch decided to launch the new services after a passenger number increase of more than 60 per cent on flights to Tenerife this September.
The amount of passengers flying to Lanzarote with the airline also increased by 12 per cent on September 2008 figures.
More than six million passengers fly with the company each year.
London Luton Airport to see change to easyJet's Belfast flights
Thu, 15 Oct, 2009
Flights from London Luton Airport to Belfast with easyJet will land at a different airport from early next year.
EasyJet previously operated a service from London Luton Airport that landed at Belfast International Airport but the service will switch to Belfast City Airport.
A twice daily service will run from London Luton Airport from January 7th 2010.
Brian Ambrose, chief executive of George Best Belfast City Airport, said: "We are delighted that easyJet has selected Luton as its first destination from Belfast City Airport - a route we currently do not offer and one I am sure will be popular."
The airline said that passengers who had already booked flights between London Luton Airport and Belfast International leaving after the switchover date would be able to change their tickets for free or gain a full refund.
Belfast International Airport is around 18 miles outside the city while Belfast City Airport is located close to the city centre.
London Luton Airport to renew community relations focus
Thu, 17 Sep, 2009
London Luton Airport has appointed a new community relations executive with the aim of improving its performance across several key areas.
Sian Pearce will work with her new colleagues at the airport to help it meet its Community Engagement Strategy, which looks at environmental performance, its impact on the surrounding neighbourhood and the benefits it can offer to the economy.
London Luton Airport is committed to exceeding the achievements that it made during 2008 in each of these fields, something that Ms Pearce says attracted her to the position.
"It is great to be part of an initiative that will really make a difference to people living locally through a whole range of projects and activities," she said.
"This is a great opportunity for me and I am very much looking forward to being part of the team."
Bournemouth Airport recently announced, meanwhile, that it will be launching a new carbon offsetting scheme to provide passengers with a chance to pay extra for the some of the emissions produced by their flights.
Luton Airport easyJet flights to be cut
Tue, 08 Sep, 2009
Passengers booking cheap flights abroad may have to consider flying with a different airline after easyJet's decision to cut a number of its services.
The cheap flights carrier is axing 240 flights from its main base at Luton, while East Midlands Airport will lose 120 services.
It is still unknown exactly which flights will be cancelled - with these due to be announced at the resolution of a 90-day consultation period with unions.
Kevin Hall, regional industrial organiser for Unite, said that the airline wasn't "getting rid of any aircraft".
"When you talk to easyJet and they talk about a 20 per cent reduction in their flight capacity out of Luton, they're not going to get rid of any aircraft, they're just going to move their aircraft into another airport," he commented.
Earlier this summer, easyJet launched a third aircraft at Manchester, allowing it to operate services to Corfu, Athens, Dalaman and the Corsican destination of Bastia.
London Luton Airport highlights strong bank holiday
Tue, 01 Sep, 2009
More than 145,000 passengers were expected to travel through London Luton Airport over the bank holiday weekend.
The airport said that it anticipated official figures would show the three-day period to be one of the busiest weekends of the year.
It also noted that sunny destinations remain popular with British holidaymakers, as families look to take their summer holidays.
Southern France, Spain and the Balearic and Canary Islands were identified as some of the most popular locations for people flying out from London Luton Airport.
However, Bulgaria, Egypt, Romania and Turkey were all highlighted as examples of destinations outside of the EU that are becoming increasingly popular because of exchange rates.
Simon Harley, airline manager at London Luton Airport, said: "With a constantly expanding network of routes now making up over 100 destinations, we continue to serve the requirements of both the business and leisure traveller.
"With the UK weather remaining poor we are delighted to offer the UK public an opportunity to at last see the sun."
Last week, meanwhile, German carrier Air Berlin revealed plans to launch a winter flights service between Manchester Airport and Paderborn this year.
London Luton Airport offering flights to Romania
Thu, 20 Aug, 2009
London Luton Airport is to expand the number of flights offered to Bacau, Romania.
The south-eastern airport will offer increased number of Blue Air flights to Romania, thanks to the high level of demand seen for the route so far.
Commenced on June 1st 2009, the Luton-Bacau route will now be offered to passengers on a twice-weekly basis.
Blue Air will use a Boeing 737 jet for the winter flights, which are already on sale.
London Luton Airport airline manager Simon Harley said: "We are delighted with the success of the Bacau service and to see winter flights now on sale with Blue Air."
According to the UK airport, Bacau is considered to be one of Romania's most beautiful cities and is located in the centre of the country's Moldavia region, at the "foothills of the Carpathians".
Last month, it was revealed that London Luton Airport would continue hosting Wizz Air's route to Varna, Bulgaria, for the rest of the year.
Car sharing system to help ease airport parking at Luton
Tue, 09 Jun, 2009
A lift sharing system has been started by Luton Airport to help ease pressure on airport parking.
While a car sharing scheme was already in place for employees, it can now be used by passengers as well, with the new expansion timed to coincide with National Liftshare Day.
They can go online to register and find other people making the same trip in order to travel together, TTG Live reported.
Luton Airport said it is dedicated to sustainable transport and claims to be the UK's first to implement such a scheme.
Recently, Business Destinations magazine readers voted Luton Airport as the UK Business Airport of the Year.
Services available to business passengers include Priority Parking, a relatively new programme.
A meet and greet service, it allows travellers to leave their cars outside the terminal, where trained staff will park it within the short-term car park.
The car is then brought back to be collected outside the terminal when the passenger returns.
London Luton Airport celebrates Polish airline link-up
Thu, 28 May, 2009
London Luton Airport has marked the five-year anniversary of its link-up with Polish firm Wizz Air.
The occasion was marked with the help of radio station Heart FM and saw the organisation run a competition for a seven-night holiday in Bulgaria.
Marketing manager at the hub Jo-Ann Lloyd said: "We are delighted that Wizz Air has chosen London Luton to be partner in the airline's success story and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones together in the future."
The budget carrier operates routes to 15 European destinations from the facility, including Prague, Budapest, Gdansk and Warsaw.
It recently launched a new twice-weekly service to Varna, which begins in June 27th.
Tickets for the flights cost £52.99, including taxes.
London Luton has a range of airport parking options for people who choose to begin their journey on the road.
Those with savnavs may find it is worth saving the postcode LU2 9QT in their devices to ensure they get the best route for their trip.
London Luton Airport gains "fantastic" new flights to Europe
Tue, 21 Apr, 2009
London Luton Airport has gained three "fantastic" new routes into Europe.
Airline easyJet will run the flights to destinations in France, Italy and Spain starting in July.
A six-times-weekly trip to Milan begins on July 6th, with a Monday, Wednesday and Friday service to Mahon starting on the same day.
July 7th will see the company commence a three-times-weekly jaunt to Montpellier.
Fares start from between £26.99 and £28.99.
These new services will appeal to budget conscious holidaymakers, according to the firm's regional general manager Paul Simmons.
"With our summer 2009 flights now on sale there has never been a better time to book your summer holiday and make some big savings," he said.
The company now runs a total of thirty four routes from the hub, including ones to Aberdeen, Paris, Pisa, Malaga and Athens.
Travellers planning to use airport car parking at London-Luton can input the postcode LU2 9QT to locate the facility.
London Luton Airport gains new flights to Bulgaria
Wed, 15 Apr, 2009
London Luton Airport has gained a new service to Bulgaria.
Low-cost airline Wizz Air has announced that the flights will go to coastal resort of Varna twice a week starting on 27th June.
Tickets for the route, which are running until 5th September, cost £52.99 including taxes.
The addition means that the operator now flies to three Bulgarian destinations – Varna, the capital Sofia and seaside resort Bourgas - and 16 places in total, including Poland and Hungary.
Varna is located on the coast of the Black Sea and features a Roman fortress and a 19th century cathedral, the Assumption of the Virgin.
The town is also host to a number of other tourist attractions, including museums relating to the navy and archaeology, an aquarium and art galleries
London Luton has a range of airport parking options for people going away on holiday, including car parks for varying lengths of stay and a recently introduced priority service.
London Luton Airport 'has invested in car parks'
Tue, 07 Apr, 2009
London Luton Airport has made investments to upgrade its public transport interchange and car park facilities, it has stated.
As a result, it has now been awarded the Best UK Business Airport 2009 by subscribers of Business Destinations magazine.
Value for money, range of products offered, quality of service and environmental impact were all taken into account by the judges.
Part of the improvements the airport have recently worked on includes better access and an enhanced short-term car park.
The facility explained all of its on-site parking facilities for cars are only a short distance from the terminal, with new priority car parking adjacent to the main building.
Glyn Jones, London Luton Airport managing director, remarked the accolade demonstrates how popular the facility is to both airlines and travellers.
"Over the past year we have achieved growth in passenger numbers through the expansion of our route network and increases in the frequency of flights," he commented.
The public choose to fly from the airport because of the "excellent transport links", Mr Jones concluded.
Drivers using a satnav to direct them to the location should type in the postcode LU2 9QT.
London Luton Airport "delighted" with new Tel Aviv service
Thu, 26 Mar, 2009
London Luton Airport is "delighted" that El Al has chosen the facility for its new service to Tel Aviv.
Starting from Sunday 3rd May, the Israeli carrier will operate the service six times a week.
Flights will leave the English location from Sundays to Thursdays at 12:15 BST, while on Fridays it will depart at 09:45 BST.
Glyn Jones, London Luton Airport managing director, explained there have been improvements made such as better road access – which is great news for those who want to use the airport's car parks – and a good rail service running to London.
He commented: "We will provide El Al passengers with a fast and efficient airport experience and a choice of products and services to enhance their journey."
Both business and economy cabins with full meals and drinks services will be available on the B767 aircrafts that will be used for the service, which is suitable for both leisure and business travellers.
Other airlines that operate out of London Luton Airport include Ryanair, EasyJet, Thomson Airways and Flybe.
New communications system rolled out at London Luton
Wed, 10 Sep, 2008
London Luton Airport has implemented a new, state-of-the-art communications system in order to provide better services for travellers.
The system, called Aviavox, broadcasts messages about flight departures and alterations in nine different languages, with the ability to vary content in different areas of the airport.
It also communicates security messages, a particularly important feature as passenger numbers at London Luton Airport increase.
Glyn Jones, managing director of the hub, said: "Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. London Luton Airport continually assesses the needs of its passengers and business partners and aims to provide the best possible service to them."
In related news, SkyEurope Airlines - voted eastern Europe's most popular low-cost carrier by Skytrax - recently announced that it had reached an aviation milestone by flying more than 250,000 passengers out of Luton Airport to destinations in Slovakia and the Czech Republic in under ten months.
London flight punctuality 'a mixed picture'
Wed, 18 Jun, 2008
The punctuality of scheduled flights at London's airports appears to be getting worse in some areas and better in others, according to new figures from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Between January and March 2008, only 56 per cent of flights at London Heathrow Airport were on time, compared with 65 per cent in the same period of 2007.
At London City Airport, 58 per cent of flights were on time, down 12 percentage points.
In contrast, London Luton, London Gatwick and London Stansted improved their punctuality performance in the first three months of the year when compared with 2007.
At Luton, for example, on-time performance increased by five percentage points to 76 per cent.
The Civil Aviation Authority is a public corporation, established in 1972 as an independent specialist aviation regulator.
Last month, Giovanni Bisignani, the head of the International Air Transport Association, criticised the regulator for authorising an 86 per cent hike in charges that airlines will have to pay to use Heathrow.
Silverjet customers urged to contact credit card companies
Mon, 02 Jun, 2008
David Clover of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has advised customers of luxury airline Silverjet to contact their credit card companies to check if they can be refunded for any cancelled flights.
He was speaking on BBC Two's Working Lunch after it was reported that Silverjet, which flew from London Luton Airport to Dubai and New York, suspended operations on Friday, citing financial problems.
The CAA estimates that around 7,000 British passengers have been affected by the collapse of Silverjet.
"People who have booked directly with the airline should talk to their credit card companies or their other card payment companies.
"Some people may be taking out travel insurance in which case that travel insurance may cover airline insolvency, but they need to check the small print very carefully."
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have both offered special price deals for stranded Silverjet ticketholders.
London Luton Airport reduces environmental impact
Wed, 07 May, 2008
New fuel-efficient buses are now being used to ferry passengers from terminals to flights at London Luton Airport.
The vehicles, dubbed Cobus 3000 buses, have aluminium bodies to make them light and small engines to deal with the lower-than-average maximum speeds set on the airfield.
All of the buses meet the latest requirements for emission testing and are more fuel efficient than the carriers previously used to take passengers to their airplanes.
In addition to providing green benefits, the vehicles offer space for wheelchair users, the elderly and families with pushchairs.
Passenger numbers at London Luton Airport reached the ten million mark in a 12-month period for the first time in the hub's 70-year history earlier this year.
The introduction of new airlines and more than 40 extra routes since 2006 has helped ensure Luton remains an increasingly-popular choice for air travellers, the airport said in a statement at the time.
Two new services from London Luton
Tue, 25 Mar, 2008
Budget airline easyJet has launched new services from London Luton Airport to Jersey and Pisa.
Seats on the flights to the Channel Island of Jersey will be available from £21.99 one way, including taxes and David Osborne, easyJet's UK general manager, said he expects the service to prove popular with both business travellers and holidaymakers.
"Jersey is home to a stunning coastline for the water sports enthusiasts and the main street is a shoppers' delight, where duty free is plentiful," he added.
Fares to the Italian city of Pisa, which Mr Osborne described as a "perfect gateway" for holidaymakers who want to visit the historic city of Florence and the picturesque region of Tuscany, are available from £23.99 one way, including taxes.
The new services are part of an ongoing expansion programme by easyJet, which recently saw the low-cost carrier start flying from East Midlands Airport to Palma, Mallorca.
Luton records 10m passengers in a year
Wed, 27 Feb, 2008
London Luton Airport is celebrating a record of ten million passengers in one year.
The first of such milestones in the airport's 70-year history, the ten millionth passenger was recorded in February, having multiplied customer traffic by 500 per cent in the last decade.
Over the last two years, new airlines and over 40 new routes have led to the increase and 500 employees mean the airport is one of the largest economic forces in the area.
London Luton Airport attributes its recent success to the development of low-cost airlines such as easyJet, Flybe, Ryainair, Wizz Air, Monarch and ThomsonFly serving destinations in Europe, Africa and North America.
Airport parking and good communications with London are also cited as factors in making London Luton one of the world's most important air traffic hubs, adding that it also boasts parking for 36 commercial aircrafts and a 2160 metre-long runway.
A Thomson flight from Manchester Airport to Marrakech recently used Luton London Airport as a stop-off when technical problems with a lightbulb occurred, reported in the Mirror.
XL heads to Luton
Fri, 16 Nov, 2007
XL Airways has announced it is to start flying from London Luton Airport in May next year.
It is to launch three scheduled services to warm weather holiday destinations, including two to Cyprus - a five flights a week route to Larnaca and a three times a week service to Paphos.
The third new route will operate twice a week to the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
XL's managing director Martin Lock said the services were being launched in response to strong demand from holidaymakers and that the company expects 30,000 passengers to use them in the first year of operation.
He added: "Luton is ideally located for this market just a few minutes from the M1 and M25 motorways, with car parks conveniently located close to the terminal building and great transport links to London."
This is the latest in a succession of new flights from London Luton Airport to be announced, following news of Thomsonfly's route to Tel Aviv and SkyEurope's services to Prague and Bratislava.
Thomsonfly links Luton to Tel Aviv
Fri, 02 Nov, 2007
Low-cost airline Thomsonfly yesterday made its maiden flight on the new route between London Luton Airport and Tel Aviv.
The three times a week service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with tickets available from £139.98 return including all taxes and surcharges.
Guy Stephenson, Thomsonfly's commercial director, said the airline had decided to launch the new service because of growing demand for services to the Israeli city.
Tel Aviv is a stylish modern city popular with tourists, religious groups, historians and businessmen, explained Mr Stephenson.
He added: "We are excited that our new low-cost, high-frequency flights will make it easier and more viable for many who have longed to visit Israel."
This week also saw SkyEurope Airlines commence flying on four new routes out of London Luton Airport.
One of the new services goes to the popular city break destination of Prague in the Czech Republic, while the others link Luton to the Slovakian cities of Bratislava, Kosice and Poprad.
New services launched to eastern Europe
Mon, 08 Oct, 2007
The links between eastern Europe and English capital London are growing stronger following a spate of increased service announcement from operators.
SkyEurope Airlines is the latest company to announce new services to countries in the east of the continent.
From London Luton, the airline will be increasing its flights to Prague and introducing three new destinations in Slovakia.
Chief commercial officer of SkyEurope Airlines Karim Makhlouf commented that the location of the airport is ideal for the firm.
"London Luton Airport provides the ideal gateway for our London market enabling us to offer our premium low-cost product," he said.
Natalie Raper, marketing director of London Luton Airport, added that UK passengers will be able to benefit from the development.
"No-frills flying has made business and leisure travel an increasingly viable option for millions of Europeans," she remarked.
During the month of July, London Luton Airport handled one million passengers, the first time it has done so.
London Luton to Dubai
Tue, 18 Sep, 2007
London Luton Airport passengers will soon be able to fly to Dubai with Silverjet, it has been announced.
From London, travellers with a taste for luxury can take advantage of the airline's private terminals at both ends of the route.
The private terminals provide passengers with dedicated security, a 30-minute check-in and specially designed menus.
Silverjet chief executive Lawrence Hunt commented on the popularity of Dubai with business and leisure passengers.
"Dubai has attracted large levels of investment and development over recent years to become a globally acclaimed destination for both business and leisure travellers alike," he said.
Air traffic to the emirate is growing year-on-year by 20 per cent, Mr Hunt added.
For those hoping to take advantage of the private terminals and embark on a flight to Dubai, advance booking of airport parking may add to the convenience of the journey.
Silverjet recently announced that it would be adding a second daily flight to New York Newark from London Luton Airport from September 23rd.