London Luton Airport is to receive funding from the UK government for its airspace modernisation programme. £5.5 million has been made available to ensure that Luton, along with 20 other UK airports, can continue to develop and assess ways of upgrading the current airspace structure and route network.
The financial impact of the global pandemic had threatened the future of the programme, which aims to deliver quicker, quieter and cleaner journeys. Welcoming the announcement by the Department for Transport (DfT) that funding and thanking local community groups for backing the airport’s campaign, Neil Thompson, Operations Director at London Luton said: “Like our roads and railway, airspace is a vital piece of infrastructure, yet it has remained largely unchanged since the start of the jet age. An overhaul is long overdue and will bring benefits for the industry and the travelling public, as well as for the environment and local communities. London Luton has been at the forefront of this programme since its inception and remains committed to its future.”
Mark Swan, Head of the Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG) which is organising the delivery of the strategy said: “We’re delighted that the government has reaffirmed the essential role that airspace modernisation will play in helping the aviation industry to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work with our partners across the industry to ensure this programme is one that delivers for all of the UK. ”
Meanwhile, Andrew Lambourne, Chair of LADACAN, one of Luton’s supporting campaign groups described the funding announcement as a potential win-win for government, industry, noise-affected communities and carbon reduction.“Airspace modernisation is 30 years overdue with aircraft still flying route patterns dating from the 1950s and 1960s. Luton Airport’s departing flights are often held low due to conflicts with flights from other airports preventing continuous climb and creating unwanted noise. This funding gives us all a chance to resolve those issues if approached in the right way,” he said.
