Luton Rising
Luton Borough Council-owned company that owns London Luton Airport.
Luton Rising's owner changed political hands in September 2026: a no-confidence vote removed Labour's Tahmina Saleem as Luton Borough Council leader, reported on 16 September, and Liberal Democrat Amjid Ali took charge of a council whose company runs the airport.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026
Timeline for Luton Rising
Mentioned in: Lib Dem Amjid Ali takes over Luton
UK Local Elections 2026Background
Luton Rising is the trading name of London Luton Airport Ltd, a company owned outright by Luton Borough Council and run for community benefit. Its holdings include London Luton Airport, the Luton DART rail link and other property.
The company says it has given £180m to community projects, and that 44p for every passenger in 2024 went straight to local causes. Airport income also supports council services.
As owner, it backed growth of the airport to 32 million passengers a year, which received development consent in April 2025. Control of the council therefore carries sway over the company and that expansion, and that control passed to a Liberal Democrat-led coalition in September 2026.