London Luton Airport
Airport in Luton, Bedfordshire, owned by Luton Borough Council through Luton Rising.
Oversight of London Luton Airport moved to a Liberal Democrat-led Coalition in September 2026, when Amjid Ali replaced Labour's Tahmina Saleem at the head of its owner, Luton Borough Council, without an election, inheriting consented growth to 32 million passengers.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026
Timeline for London Luton Airport
Mentioned in: Lib Dem Amjid Ali takes over Luton
UK Local Elections 2026Background
London Luton Airport is a single-Runway airport in Luton, Bedfordshire. The borough council owns it through Luton Rising, its wholly owned company, and airport earnings help pay for council services.
On 3 April 2025 the airport won development consent to grow from 18 million to 32 million passengers a year, including a second terminal. That expansion is the largest decision now in the hands of whoever runs the council.
Council ownership binds the airport to local politics: a change at the top of the town hall changes WHO oversees one of the area's biggest employers. That happened in September 2026, when the Liberal Democrats took the council leadership mid-term.