Expansion plans of London Luton Airport that would increase capacity to 18m passengers a year, have won government approval. London Luton Airport Operations said its plans could mean 45,000 extra flights and more than 5,000 new jobs. The airport, which is the UK’s fifth largest, handled 9.7m passengers in 2013.
On the other hand, campaigners against the expansion have said it will bring an unacceptable increase in noise and air pollution.
The council’s impartiality had been challenged because, while London Luton Airport Ltd owns the airport infrastructure, the borough owns all its shares.