For the best part of the last decade, Stop Luton Airport Expansion, have helped to hold Luton Rising/Luton Borough Council (LR/LBC) to account over their environment and community destroying plans to expand Luton Airport.
Along with many other opposition groups like LADACAN, we presented the case to the six-month long Planning Inquiry, as to how destructive, financially flawed, and factually incorrect the LR plans are. We succeeded, the highly qualified and experienced Planning Inspectors, turned down the application completely.
Up then stepped the Labour Secretary of State for Transport, whose vast experience and knowledge trumped those five highly qualified individuals, and she passed the Application.
There then followed 18 months of legal challenge, driven by LADACAN, supported and funded by the generosity of the British public. These challenges came to an end on the 31st July 2026, as on that day, the Supreme Court of Appeal refused the final legal challenge.
So, what happens next?
Well, now LR/LBC must deliver the project on time, on budget, and financed by the private sector, rather than how LBC have financed this application, and other airport projects like DART for LR — by borrowing £0.5 Billion from Central Government, via the Public Works Loans Board.
The completion date is set at a rather woolly, “mid 2040’s”, with costs stated at “in excess of £2.5 billion”.
With the current global financial situation, and how construction costs fluctuate daily at the best of times, only a complete fool would undertake such a reckless project now. Sadly, the phrase complete fool, could have been hand tailored for LR/LBC.
LBC, the architects of this project has been Labour controlled for the past 19 years. They, and Council Officers, have overseen the lending stream mentioned previously, and numerous other redirections of money streams to LR, all of which could have been spent on enhancing lives in Luton.
Recent months, however, have seen a change in that control. After investigations by Labour Eastern region, a report was delivered, which insisted on several major actions. The Leader of the Labour group, and Council, was forced to stand down, and the Executive Committee, all bar one post, totally refreshed. In protest, 6 Labour Councillors resigned from the party. So now the Council has no overall control.
The Local Elections for Luton are in May 2027
Who knows what the outcome will be then, and what effect that may have on these Expansion Plans?
EasyJet, who have been subject to competing takeover bids in recent months, accounted for 39% of passenger throughput at Luton in 2025. That was 6.8 million, out of a 17.5 million throughput, and they, along with many other airlines, have struggled with finances since 2020 and Covid.
Apollo Global Management were the successful bidders in the end, and whilst they have experience with other airlines since that time, on financial matters, they have no direct airline operating experience.
- So, are they being altruistic, and simply want to continue to give people cheap flights and holidays?
- Or do they want to asset strip an aircraft order book, for hundreds of sought after new Airbus aircraft?
- Do they want to lease or sell outright the newer aircraft in the fleet, and reduce the rest to spares and scrap metal?
- Do they want to sell the substantial slot holdings at movement restricted airport like Amsterdam/both Paris airports/Gatwick, as well as several other European hubs, for eye watering sums of hard cash?
What about the slots at Luton?
Well, they are worth little in relation to real hub airports. There are four main carriers at Luton, Wizz Air, EasyJet, Ryanair and Jet 2, and during the 2nd quarter of 2026, April- June:
- Ryanair announced a drop in profits in 2025 of 34%, despite increased passenger numbers.
- EasyJet for the same period, saw a drop of 74%, once again on increased passengers.
- Wizz Air, saw a fall from a profit of £33 million in 2025, too losses of £169.6 million this year, a staggering 616% drop
- Jet 2 have yet to announce their figures.
Against this background, LR will now be ramping up their spending on their Development Plans. All money that if they weren’t spending, as we mentioned before, could and would have gone into budget spend in Luton. So, against another year of wildfires, lack of rainfall and other environmental impacts around the world, is it morally and ethically correct to continue not just Luton airport expansion, but all UK airport expansions?
Sane, ethical and responsible people would say no, but sadly here in the United Kingdom, we are now at the mercy of a Labour Socialist Government.
A Government that beats its subjects with Net Zero taxation on their electricity/gas/petrol, but does not tax aviation fuel, which could raise billions for the country.
The Secretary of State for Transport, welcomed the decision on Luton’s, and Gatwick airports expansion plans getting through the legal challenges, stating “airport expansion will unlock investment, jobs, and more choice for holidaymakers”
The Planet burns, yet holiday makers have more choice.
It is now official; the lunatics really have taken over the asylum.