Express Service for London Luton Airport Passengers

London Luton Airport (LLA) released its latest passenger figures, as one of Britain’s busiest airports reveals it welcomed 1.2 million passengers in March, a 49% increase on the same month last year.

The March total brings the number of passengers welcomed by LLA in 2023 to almost 3.3 million and marks the second consecutive month that the airport has exceeded one million passengers.

Passengers traveling from central London to LLA by rail will also now benefit from the launch of the Luton Airport Express, a non-stop train service launched by East Midlands Railway (EMR) that will allow passengers to seamlessly travel from London St Pancras station to the airport terminal. 

The service runs from St Pancras to Luton Airport Parkway station, where passengers are then whisked to the LLA terminal in less than four minutes by the DART, a new automated, electrically powered people mover that replaces the previous bus transfer service. The journey time of around 30 minutes brings Londoners closer than ever to the airport. 

Neil Thompson, Operations Director at London Luton Airport, commented: “It’s great to see a continued rise in our year-on-year passenger numbers, a demonstration of the obvious appetite for air travel in 2023, and London Luton Airport’s appeal. At LLA we’re focused on providing the simplest and friendliest end-to-end passenger experience, and this includes enhancing connectivity to the airport.

“The launch of the Luton Airport Express service, alongside the DART, will be transformational for LLA, providing passengers arriving by rail with a faster, more frequent service from central London, as well as direct, seamless and more sustainable connections from more than 60 stations across the rail network.”

The airport welcomed over 420,00 passengers during February’s half-term week, contributing to the strong Q1 number. The demand for ski travel meant that popularity was high for flights to Austria, France and Switzerland, whilst Valentine’s Day saw couples jetting off to popular romantic getaway destinations such as Paris, Venice and Lisbon. 

Looking forward to the summer months, Istanbul is the latest destination to appear on the LLA departure boards, with new connections to Izmir, Murcia, and Belfast set to begin over the coming months. Amsterdam, Kefalonia, Paris and Malaga will be among the hot spots for the 2023 peak travel months. 

This year, as LLA celebrates its 85th birthday, continued investment in the terminal facilities will see passengers benefitting from an even wider choice of restaurants and shops. Sushi specialist Yo! and Italian casual dining restaurant Nolito are the most recent additions, with Australian artisan coffee house Avalon and noodle bar Chopstix set to open in the coming weeks.