05/09/2024 - Record employment in and around London Luton Airport

Research conducted by Luton Council, and published in London Luton Airport’s 2023 Sustainability Report, reveals that in 2023, 12,100 people were employed in and around the airport, and that 84 per cent of these jobs were full-time.

Of the total, around:

- 6,400 jobs were in the transportation and storage sector

- 4,200 in administrative and support

- 600 in manufacturing

- 400 in accommodation and food service

- 300 in public administration, defence and security

- and 200 in wholesale and the retail trade.

Luton Rising, the Luton Council company which owns the airport and other assets for community benefit, is seeking approval for the long-term sustainable growth of the airport to a new capacity of 32 million passengers per year by the mid-2040s.

Its application for Development Consent Order, which makes best use of the airport’s existing runway, would support up to a further 11,000 new jobs and £1.5bn increased annual economic activity across the UK. A decision is due to be made by the Government by 4 October.

Paul Kehoe CBE, chair of Luton Rising, said: “Employment at and surrounding London Luton Airport contributes significant economic benefits to Luton as a whole and to the region. A large number of businesses are based in Luton due to the presence of the airport.

“Our expansion proposals represent one of the region’s biggest job creation programmes in a generation, and are central to Luton’s transformation into a vibrant service economy. It’s our mission to raise the standard of living for local residents, and build an economic air bridge in the heart of the Golden Triangle.”

Robin Porter, Chief Executive of Luton Council, the sole shareholder of Luton Rising, said: “This is good news to be celebrated, and should be seen as verification for the bold measures Luton put in place to respond to the financial challenges posed by Covid, and as evidence of how a successful and growing airport contributes to the wider prosperity of our communities. Luton additionally is currently the number one place in the country for wider jobs growth, according to the latest Centre for Cities report.”

The report confirms that full and part-time working patterns in the vicinity of the airport differ from those found within Luton more generally, with the airport having a higher proportion of full-time workers at 84 per cent, against 64 per cent for the town as a whole.

The total number of full-time employees in and around the airport was 10,200 in 2023, which increased by 1,000, or 12 per cent, between 2021 and 2022. The figure for part-time employees was 1,900, which was unchanged from the previous year.

Set against a longer timeframe, total employment in and around the airport has risen from 8,500 jobs in 2014, an increase of 3,600 jobs, or 44 per cent.

The estimates for 2020 and 2021 include employees who had been furloughed, with 2022 the first year following the pandemic.

The report says: “The data shows that the furlough scheme was successful in maintaining employment levels during the pandemic, and employment at the airport had returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022.”

Luton Rising works to maximise the social and economic benefits associated with ownership of the airport and other assets. Over the last 25 years it has invested more than £500m in frontline services and the vital voluntary, community and charitable organisations that support people most in need.

Nick Platts, Luton Rising Managing director, added: “Our application for expansion supports growth of Luton Rising’s industry-leading community funding programmes and Luton’s 2040 Vision for a town built on fairness where no-one needs to live in poverty.

“We have drawn up a unique Green Controlled Growth framework to set legally-binding limits for the main environmental impacts of noise, carbon emissions from the operation of the airport, air quality and road access. And an additional £1 will be invested into Luton and neighbouring communities for every new passenger above the airport’s current capacity of 19 mppa, providing up to £13m per year extra for programmes that help tackle local deprivation and decarbonisation.”