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Cheap Luton Airport Parking » Airport Information » History History of Luton AirportOne of the fastest growing airports in the UK, Luton was opened in 1936 by Right Honourable Kingsley Wood, the Secretary of State for Air. The airport is owned by the borough of Luton but has been under the management of a private consortium, London Luton Airport Operations Ltd under a 30 year contract.
As with most airports in the UK, Luton was used by the military during World War Two. It acted as the base for 264 Fighter Squadron. It was also the home of Percival Aircraft Company at this time where aircraft was manufactured for both military and civilian usage.
When the war ended, the Luton Airport went back to civilian service. In 1952 a new control tower was built. Within the 1950s and 1960s package holiday service made travel overseas more accessible to the local residents. Tour holiday packages evolved from the package holiday idea, a concept which is still popular.
When Brittania Airways established its home base at Luton in 1962, commercial service became the mainstay of the airport. In time Monarch Crown Services added to the available options for residents of the region. A tour operator used Luton Airport as well for Courtline Airways, resulting in Luton having one fifth of the country's market for holidaymakers. Courtline, however, had a short life at Luton. It went into liquidation, making major problems for Luton Airport for a while.
Luton Airport became recognised as a member of London's airport system when the government issued a White Paper in 1978, listing Luton among the airports recognised in London.
With growth came the need for improvements. In 1985, the new international terminal building was opened by HRH the Prince of Wales. This was part of a major thrust to bring in as many as 5 million passengers annually by the year 1990. Within a year, Rynair took advantage of the new terminal by beginning flights to Spain and Ireland. However, within another year, Rynair moved its operations to another airport.
Concerning name changes of the airport, in 1987 it was wholly owned by the borough council and used the name London Luton Airport Ltd. By 1990, it was renamed London Luton Airport.
An unsuccessful attempt to sell the airport in 1991 brought many upgrades to areas in order to make it more successful. From 1992 to 1996, several areas were changed. They included a new air traffic control tower, a new centre for cargo, a new access road and increased parking facilities, a Category 3 Instrument Landing System, and upgrading of the passenger terminal.
In the meantime, no-frills low-cost airlines were adding to the number of passengers using Luton. It became the first UK base for low-cost carrier EasyJet.
By 1998, the airport had become of the fastest growing airports in the country. In order to continue growing, additional sources of finances were needed. A private-public partnership signed in August of this year provided 80 million pounds of financial backing for the airport. Although Luton Borough Council owns the airport, it is managed for 30 years by London Luton Airport Operations Ltd. Included in the additions paid for by this additional income was what the local people called the Tin Shed. It is a 40 million pound terminal made of aluminium and glass and was opened by Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1999.
The Railtrack opened a 23 million pound London Luton Parkway station in 1999 as well. This enabled passengers to go from the airport to London is less than a half hour. A year later, a new 30 seat chapel at the airport served people who wanted a quiet place to think or pray.
As this airport continues to grow, there are many more additions to be made. One which already happened in 2005 was a new international departure hall. From rather obscure beginnings, London Luton Airport has moved into the 7th position in the country.
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