Showing posts with label London Luton Airport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London Luton Airport. Show all posts

11 October, 2023

Temporary ramp to be installed and fire ravaged Luton Airport car park.


Initial investigations by Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service indicate that a diesel car on the third floor of terminal two car park exploded which caused other cars to explode leading to a massive fire that shut down Luton Airport on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Flights have now resumed but thousands of passengers have had their flights and travel plans halted or disrupted.  The Fire and Rescue Service advised the inferno has caused the building to suffer a "significant structural collapse" and it may need to be completely demolished.

The fire started at about 20:45 BST and whilst there have been no serious injuries were reported a small number of firefighters have been treated for the effects of smoke inhalation. 


Andy Hopkinson, Bedfordshire's chief fire officer, said firefighters faced a "severe and rapidly spreading fire" upon arrival, with the blaze "ultimately spread to multiple floors". He confirmed the service had "no intelligence than to suggest it was anything other than an accidental fire". He also stated the car park had as many as 1,500 vehicles in it at the time - with around 1,200 thought to be damaged.

According to an airport spokesperson, passengers arriving by car could now use the long and mid-stay car parks, while a temporary drop-off was established at the mid-stay car park. A temporary ramp was being installed to enable undamaged vehicles to be removed. 



29 June, 2023

The UK's worst ranked airports for cancellations.....

UK’s airports ranked on performance ahead of summer holidays


220m passed through UK airports in 2022
Glasgow cancelled the most flights with 1,500 in 2022
Belfast & Stansted were reliable with only 0.8% & 0.7% of flights cancelled


The latest research by tax specialists, RIFT, reveals that while Heathrow may be the UK’s busiest major airport, Brits heading abroad this summer are best to avoid Glasgow Airport, as it ranks as the worst when it comes to the proportion of flights being cancelled.

RIFT analysed the number of annual flights and cancellations at each of the UK’s 10 busiest airports to see which provides the most efficient service to passengers. 

Last year (2022), a combined total of 221.8 million passengers passed through the UK’s 10 busiest airports. 


28%, or 61.6 million, of these people travelled through Heathrow, making it the busiest airport in the nation. 

Gatwick handled 32.8 million passengers (15%), while Manchester and Stansted (10.5%) each served an estimated 23.3 million passengers (11%).

However, when it comes to the possibility of flight cancellations throwing a spanner in the works for UK holidaymakers, it’s Glasgow Airport that is most likely to kick off your holiday on a sour note. 

In 2022 2.5% of all flights from Glasgow were cancelled and while this might not seem like many, it equates to almost 1,500 cancellations. 


Heathrow does rank second when it comes to the frequency of cancelled flights. Of the 367,000 flights that were due to take off last year, Heathrow saw a cancellation rate of 1.7% or 6,391 flights.

Gatwick (3,472) and Edinburgh (1,363) also rank high with 1.6% of flights taken off the board.

Meanwhile, Birmingham airport handled almost 69,000 flights in 2022 and managed a cancellation rate of just 0.6%, equivalent to less than 400 flights. 

Stansted (0.7%) and Belfast International (0.8%) were also impressively reliable. 






Check the tables online here RIFT Holiday cancellations and passports 

What to do if your flight is cancelled


If your flight is cancelled, you have a legal right to either a full refund or a replacement flight to your intended destination. 

If you are halfway through a journey and the cancelled flight is, for example, a connecting flight, you also have the right to a free flight back to the airport you originally departed from. 

If a cancellation delays your journey for more than two hours, and occurs less than 14 days before the scheduled flight time, you are also entitled to compensation to cover your costs, such as food or accommodation when required. 

Compensation ranges between £100-£500 depending on how many miles the cancelled flight was going to take you and how many hours late your eventual arrival was. 

Be passport prepared


While cancelled flights are a common cause of holiday frustration and disappointment, it’s more common for holidays to be disrupted by passport issues. 

If your passport is out of date, it needs renewing before you can travel. The timeline for receiving a new passport is around 12-29 days after submitting your application. But His Majesty’s Passport Office recommends you allow for a waiting time of 10 weeks. 

What’s really important to know is that even if your passport is within its expiry date, it still might not be valid depending on your destination of choice. 

Some countries, such as the US, simply require your passport to be in-date for the duration of your trip, but many popular destinations require you to have at least three months left on your passport, including Spain, Greece, Italy, and France.

Anyone who isn’t aware of this can be in for a nasty surprise when they get to the airport and cancelled flights will be the least of your worries. 

Be prepared and make sure you check the rules specific to your destination well ahead of travelling. 


Bradley Post, MD of RIFT, commented: “Given how many flights leave UK airports every day, it’s fair to say that the industry is highly efficient and reliable with cancellations kept at a minimum. 

In fact, if your holiday is going to get scuppered at the airport, it’s far more likely to be a passenger error than an airline error. Forgotten passports and out of date passports are always going to be leading contributors to ruined holidays. 

You’ve got to double check your passport well before you travel. And don’t forget, when a flight is cancelled by the airline, there’s a good chance of getting your money back. But if it’s your own fault that you can’t travel as planned, you’re not going to get any compensation whatsoever.”





24 February, 2023

Leidos to upgrade security at London Luton Airport

Leidos,  the science and technology company was recently named the principal contractor for technology upgrades across multiple security checkpoints at London Luton Airport (LLA). As one of the UK's busiest airports, LLA served over 13 million passengers in 2022.


"This is an exciting opportunity for our team, and we look forward to supporting these important initiatives at London Luton Airport," said Brad Buswell, Senior Vice President and Operations Manager at Leidos. "By focusing on end-to-end solutions versus individual systems, we will deliver a holistic security management solution, which can scale with the airport's future needs."

As the principal contractor, Leidos manages all subcontractors and associated consultants working on the project. This includes oversight of building modifications to create two central image processing rooms. The company will also install its security systems and other third-party security solutions at the checkpoints.

Under the agreement, Leidos will deploy 12 of its integrated ClearScan™ cabin baggage scanners and ProPassage™ automated tray return systems. ClearScan is a computed tomography (CT) scanner with advanced explosive detection algorithms. This capability eliminates the need to remove electronics and approved liquids from carry-on baggage. The large, automated ProPassage trays reduce the number of trays needed per passenger in the divest area and helps prevent sweep-outs, a common issue with light items in shallow trays. The combination of these two technologies will enable faster processing of passengers through the checkpoint.

23 February, 2023

Leidos to lead security technology enhancements at London Luton Airport

Leidos,  the science and technology company was recently named the principal contractor for technology upgrades across multiple security checkpoints at London Luton Airport (LLA). As one of the UK's busiest airports, LLA served over 13 million passengers in 2022.


"This is an exciting opportunity for our team, and we look forward to supporting these important initiatives at London Luton Airport," said Brad Buswell, Senior Vice President and Operations Manager at Leidos. "By focusing on end-to-end solutions versus individual systems, we will deliver a holistic security management solution, which can scale with the airport's future needs."

As the principal contractor, Leidos manages all subcontractors and associated consultants working on the project. This includes oversight of building modifications to create two central image processing rooms. The company will also install its security systems and other third-party security solutions at the checkpoints.

Under the agreement, Leidos will deploy 12 of its integrated ClearScan™ cabin baggage scanners and ProPassage™ automated tray return systems. ClearScan is a computed tomography (CT) scanner with advanced explosive detection algorithms. This capability eliminates the need to remove electronics and approved liquids from carry-on baggage. The large, automated ProPassage trays reduce the number of trays needed per passenger in the divest area and helps prevent sweep-outs, a common issue with light items in shallow trays. The combination of these two technologies will enable faster processing of passengers through the checkpoint.

30 July, 2022

Its not often you see a whale at Luton Airport.....

It's not something you see every day,  but during the week London Luton Airport was visited by a massive Airbus Beluga XL on a training sortie.



.


Beluga and Beluga XL's can shift so much odd-sized cargo....

The Bulga XL transports A350 wings

Arriving in Bremen 

09 July, 2022

Runway charity run at Luton nets £4000


Congratulations and well done to the 200 people who met up at 3:30am for a special charity run taking place on the runway at Luton Airport.  Those brave people ran up and down the landing strip in order to raise £4000 for the charity partners of the airport 




LLA Operations Director Neil Thompson, who took part in the race, commented: “The runway run is an event that is now firmly established as a milestone in the LLA calendar. There is always so much excitement and enjoyment around this event and we were delighted to welcome so many runners who arrived at dawn to have some fun and raise much-needed funds for these two amazing charities.”

Sarah Cunningham, Community Fundraiser for East Anglian Air Ambulance, said: “Our charity partnership with LLA is helping to raise awareness of our work and is providing vital fundraising support that will enable our airborne doctors and critical care paramedics to continue saving lives. As a charity, we rely almost entirely on public support and the runway run is a fun and creative approach to raising much-needed funds for our life-saving operation in Luton and the surrounding areas.”

Salma Khan, Manager of Luton Foodbank, commented: “A huge well done to London Luton Airport and all the runners who met at the crack of dawn to raise awareness and funds for our charity. We are working hard to eradicate food poverty in Luton and the support provided by LLA and the local community plays an essential role in supporting our efforts.”

22 March, 2022

400 jobs on offer at London Luton Airport.....

London Luton Airport is recruiting for 400 new roles across the airport as February’s passenger figures indicate a promising recovery for the airport, and the Government announces an end to all covid travel restrictions.

London Luton Airport is one of the UK’s busiest airports despite Covid-19, carrying 58 million passengers in the past five years. The airport is operated by a consortium of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and AMP Capital, a specialist global investment manager. Airlines include easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, Blue Air, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

A busy ski season and half-term city breaks boosted LLA’s passenger count last month with a total of 611,00 passengers using LLA in February. Geneva, Amsterdam and Belfast topped the most popular destinations, followed by Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paris.

Ahead of an anticipated busy summer, boosted by the announcement all remaining covid travel restrictions are to be lifted on Friday, the airport is recruiting for 400 new roles. Jobs available include aviation security officers, fire fighters and retail and hospitality staff and positions related to the Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) system, which will link the airport terminal with Luton Airport Parkway railway station.

Alberto Martin, CEO of LLA said: “We are confident that demand for air travel is returning given the busy half term period, and will only increase further with the relaxation of the final travel restrictions at the end of this week. Though reaching our pre-pandemic figures will be tough, flying to the UK is now as easy as it was before, removing a key barrier to booking for many passengers. Hiring key staff will be essential to accommodate this anticipated uplift, and we look forward to recruiting ahead of what we know will be a busy summer season.”

Passengers travelling by rail can reach the airport via a half-hourly express rail service which operates between London and Luton Airport Parkway. In addition, work is nearly complete on a £225 million light rail system linking the airport with Luton Airport Parkway station. The project is being delivered by the airport owners, Luton Rising – a company owned by Luton Council.

A selection of available roles can be viewed on the LLA website here: https://www.london-luton.co.uk/corporate/working-at-lla
                                                                                                                           











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21 March, 2022

A busy summer looms for Luton Airport.......400 jobs available.

London Luton Airport is recruiting for 400 new roles across the airport as February’s passenger figures indicate a promising recovery for the airport, and the Government announces an end to all covid travel restrictions.

London Luton Airport is one of the UK’s busiest airports despite Covid-19, carrying 58 million passengers in the past five years. The airport is operated by a consortium of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and AMP Capital, a specialist global investment manager. Airlines include easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, Blue Air, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

A busy ski season and half-term city breaks boosted LLA’s passenger count last month with a total of 611,00 passengers using LLA in February. Geneva, Amsterdam and Belfast topped the most popular destinations, followed by Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paris.

Ahead of an anticipated busy summer, boosted by the announcement all remaining covid travel restrictions are to be lifted on Friday, the airport is recruiting for 400 new roles. Jobs available include aviation security officers, fire fighters and retail and hospitality staff and positions related to the Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) system, which will link the airport terminal with Luton Airport Parkway railway station.

Alberto Martin, CEO of LLA said: “We are confident that demand for air travel is returning given the busy half term period, and will only increase further with the relaxation of the final travel restrictions at the end of this week. Though reaching our pre-pandemic figures will be tough, flying to the UK is now as easy as it was before, removing a key barrier to booking for many passengers. Hiring key staff will be essential to accommodate this anticipated uplift, and we look forward to recruiting ahead of what we know will be a busy summer season.”

Passengers travelling by rail can reach the airport via a half-hourly express rail service which operates between London and Luton Airport Parkway. In addition, work is nearly complete on a £225 million light rail system linking the airport with Luton Airport Parkway station. The project is being delivered by the airport owners, Luton Rising – a company owned by Luton Council.

A selection of available roles can be viewed on the LLA website here: https://www.london-luton.co.uk/corporate/working-at-lla
                                                                                                                           











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28 May, 2021

London Luton Airport introduces a range of new digital services

As more and more people are deciding to return to the skies, London Luton Airport has introduced a range of new digital services to further the airport experience for passengers. The new services include unlimited 10mb/s Wi-Fi across the terminal building, the creation of LLA Market Place, which enables passengers to pre-order food and drink contact-free, and an airport first offer of portable mobile chargers that can be rented for the duration of a trip. Digital kiosks have also been introduced to help passengers navigate the airport and locate shops, restaurants and services.

Contactless ordering

The new LLA Market Place allows passengers to pre-order food and collects it from stores contact-free, helping to reduce unnecessary queueing. All customers need to do is scan a QR code from the armrest of their seat or visit marketplace.london-luton.co.uk on their mobile devices. Whilst this is limited to just Smithfield and Pret a Manger at the moment, the airport assures us it will be rolled out to more establishments when they reopen. 

05 April, 2021

A year like no other at London Luton Airport






17 February, 2020

UK first for London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport (LLA) has become the first and only UK airport to achieve the prestigious Airports Council International (ACI) Customer Experience (CX) Level One accreditation.

The achievement sees LLA join eight European airports and 35 global airports that have attained ACI CX accreditation.

The ACI CX accreditation has been designed to recognise airports around the world which are committed to providing great customer service to passengers. The accreditation spans five levels, with each level structured around areas of management practices and builds on the level before it. At Level One, accreditation entails communicating externally and internally that customer experience is a priority.

18 November, 2019

New taxiway and de-Icing facility opens at London Luton Airport

New taxiway and de-Icing facility opens

London Luton Airport (LLA) has opened Taxiway Foxtrot, a second new taxiway as part of its £160m transformation programme. This follows the completion of Taxiway Bravo, which opened in early 2018. The new taxiway will help the airport manage aircraft ground movements more efficiently and contribute to ongoing efforts to minimise delays.

The new taxiway is 520m long, and required 6,000m3 of concrete and 110,000 hours to complete. 9km of electric cables connect the 150 LED lights on the new taxiway.

Taxiway Foxtrot also includes one of the largest remote de-icing facilities in Europe.  The facility can de-ice up to seven planes at once and incorporates 600m of drainage to ensure that all de-icing liquid is captured and disposed of safely. This will help the airport to maintain on-time departures during exceptionally cold weather. 

01 September, 2019

FlyBosnia takes off from London Luton Airport

From September, FlyBosnia will be flying three times per week from London Luton Airport (LLA) direct to Sarajevo International Airport. From 24th September 2019 the convenient morning flights will depart on Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays. One-way flights will start from the promotional fare of £18.99 one-way including fares and taxes.

Tarik Bilalbegovic, CEO of FlyBosnia said: “We are delighted to be launching this brand new service direct to Sarajevo from London Luton. We can’t wait to introduce this exciting destination to the UK market. With three flights a week, I am sure that Sarajevo is going to become extremely popular as a city break destination – it definitely is a hidden gem in the heart of Europe.”

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer of London Luton Airport said: “It is always exciting to welcome a new airline to London Luton, but we are particularly delighted to be launching a brand new destination. When FlyBosnia starts their operation in September, they will be the only airline to connect London - and indeed the UK - directly with Sarajevo.”

06 March, 2019

Light aircraft pilot fined for flying over Luton Airport without permission

The pilot of a light aircraft has pleaded guilty to flying over Luton Airport without clearance from air traffic control, four times in the same day. The pilot's actions led to four passenger aircraft and a business jet having to be given avoiding instructions by air traffic control. Departures from the airport were also temporarily suspended.

Christopher Morrow, 65, from Barford, Warwickshire, admitted four offences of flying in Class D controlled airspace without permission on 3 September 2018, when his case was heard by Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court in Luton earlier today. He was fined £7576 and ordered to pay £750 costs to the Civil Aviation Authority which brought the prosecution.


24 August, 2018

Luton ranked bottom of UK airports by a consumer publication

London Luton is yet again rated the worst airport in the UK, by Which? The annual airport survey reveals passengers have a better experience when flying from smaller airports.

The survey found the disastrous customer service, queues at passport control and poor facilities were part of the reasons why London Luton was named as the worst overall airport, with a customer satisfaction score of just 35% percent.

The survey was based on 11,265 passenger visits to UK airports, taking into account everything from queues at bag drop to the cleanliness of toilets. Of that number, the consumer publication is understood to have questioned just 521 people travelling through Luton. 

“Which? polled 521 of its subscribers who had travelled through the airport between May 2017 and May 2018, 0.003% of all passengers in that period. During this time we’ve undergone a period of significant change, investing £160 million redeveloping the airport to increase capacity and transform the passenger experience." Said Nick Barton, CEO of London Luton Airport, adding “In the first six months of 2018 alone, 1.2 million passengers responded to our customer service tracking, 70 per cent of whom told us they were happy with their experience."

Which? claims that top of the list was Doncaster Sheffield airport with an outstanding customer score of 87 percent. Passengers praised the airport’s short queues, facilities and speedy baggage reclaim process.  Robert Hough, Chairman of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “We are proud to be judged the UK’s and the North’s best airport, this is great recognition of the exceptional customer service offered by every single member of the team.  We have always set out to deliver a top class passenger experience, it’s what people should enjoy when at an airport whether for pleasure or business."

13 August, 2018

July 2018 - The busiest July on record for all London's main airports

The month of July has proved to be a busy month for London's main airports, breaking all previous records.  

London Stanstead airport in Essex saw passenger number rise up 7.4 percent on last years July figures to a whopping 2.8 million passengers.  The airports CEO, Ken O’Toole said, “As the main summer holiday season firmly gets underway, July is always a very busy month for us and this year we have welcomed a record number of passengers to the airport."

London Luton had the busiest July in its history with 1.67 million passengers passing through its doors, some 3.1 percent more than used the airport in July last year. “July was a milestone month for LLA, as we celebrated 80 years of growth and reached the next stage of our £160 million redevelopment." Nick Barton, chief executive of Luton said.

July 2018 was the busiest ever month for London City Airport, exceeding all existing records since it opened in 1987. In total, 471,519 passengers departed or arrived between 1st and 31st July– up 15.7% year-on-year compared to July 2017. It was also the third consecutive month that the airport has broken existing records, preceded by May (422,593 passengers) and June (441,519).

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