Luton airport expansion: comment
Luton airport’s expansion plan has been approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander despite a recommendation she reject it.
By Colin Walker
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Commenting on the news that the Government has approved the expansion of Luton airport [1] Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said:
“70% of the UK's flights are taken by just 15% of its population. [2] Airport expansion will just encourage these frequent fliers to fly even more frequently, emitting more and more emissions. The UK already runs a £41bn tourism deficit; an expanded Luton will make this worse by encouraging even more people to take their disposal income out of the UK and spend it abroad. [3]
“Approving the expansion of Gatwick and Luton airports will see emissions increase to such an extent that all the CO2 savings that the Government hopes to achieve from its Clean Power Plan would be wiped out by 2050. [4] The idea that Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) will offset these extra emissions is highly ambitious. Construction has not started on one of the five SAF plants that the Government said would be under construction in 2025, while the Climate Change Committee expects the UK to fall short in its ambition for 22% of jet fuel to be replaced with SAFs by 2040. [5]"
Notes to editors:
- https://www.independent.co.uk/business/minister-gives-goahead-to-luton-airport-expansion-despite-advice-to-reject-plan-b2726809.html
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56582094
- https://neweconomics.org/uploads/files/Economics-of-airport-expansion_Jan-2025_FINAL_1.pdf
- https://neweconomics.org/2025/01/airport-expansion-would-wipe-out-carbon-savings-of-governments-clean-power-plan
- https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/the-seventh-carbon-budget/