London - As the battle continues between Heathrow and Gatwick over the next runway, the airport that was a laughing stock in the 1970s is going global.
Luton airport, mocked in a Cinzano commercial featuring Lorraine Chase, is now building its status as a gateway to the world.
This month Luton will become the sole European airport to serve St Helena – the British possession in the South Atlantic.
The island’s new airport is due to be officially opened by Prince Edward on May 21, and within 48 hours the first charter from Luton is scheduled to touch down.
A new start-up carrier called Atlantic Star Airlines will fly the route, which includes a refuelling stop at Banjul in Gambia. The airline’s co-founder, Richard Brown, said: “We chose Luton because the team there were keen to support the service and add St Helena to their route portfolio.”
The Bedfordshire airport, owned by Luton Borough Council, has had a chequered history. The former RAF fighter base grew rapidly in the 1960s and early 1970s as package-holiday charter flights expanded.
Monarch, launched from the airport 48 years ago this month, remains its most loyal carrier.
Luton airport appeared moribund until a Greek shipping magnate, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, chose it as the base for his new no-frills airline, easyJet.
London is the world hub of aviation, with more than 150 million passengers flying in or out in a year. Luton remains a distant fourth behind Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, with 12.3 million passengers handled last year – just eight percent of the British capital’s total.
However, Luton is the fastest-growing of the major airports, putting on 40 percent more passengers in the past five years.
The aviation analyst John Strickland said: “Luton is not trying to be some sort of upmarket airport. However, it has played to its strengths by attracting airlines offering a growing range of destinations at affordable prices.
“Thanks to its large catchment area, this is proving to be a successful formula,” Strickland said.
The Independent