Luton Airport 'no 1 for passenger growth'

Luton Airport has claimed that its traffic figures for the first nine months of the year make it the number one airport in the UK for passenger growth.

Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority show that Luton Airport handled 487,311 more passengers between January and September this year than in 2007, representing an increase of 6.5 per cent.

This growth has been fuelled by the launch of new routes to destinations in Cyprus, Italy, Poland and Jersey.

Glyn Jones, managing director of Luton Airport, said: "We have achieved this position due to our excellent transport links to London, the south-east and the Midlands as well as having one of the best airport catchment areas in the UK.

"This has been an encouraging year for us and shows just how attractive London Luton Airport now is to airlines and travellers alike."

A number of major airlines fly from Luton Airport, including Flybe, Aer Arann and easyJet, to more than 95 destinations in Europe, Africa and other regions.

The airport handled nearly ten million passengers in 2007, representing growth of close to 400 per cent over the course of ten years.

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