Passengers are being encouraged to help improve access to and from Luton Airport.

The airport’s bosses want members of the public to speak up during the consultation period, which ends in January.

Plans to improve access to and from the Bedfordshire airport are in their infancy and the use of sustainable transport options for both passengers and employees, including bus and rail services, are being considered.

However, people can contribute their own ideas to make Luton Airport a more user-friendly travel hub, with the airport’s owners eager to hear what their customers have got to say.

The news comes as a private jet manufacturer Gulfstream created 50 new jobs in the town as part of a multi-million pound expansion plan.

Gulfstream, whose planes are used by celebrities including Rihanna, Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio, moved into a 75,000 sq ft hangar at Luton Airport last month, its biggest base outside of America.

Sumi Fonseka, Gulfstream Luton’s general manager, revealed that Luton is a popular destination for private jets because it is so close to London.

He said: “Luton is a busy business destination. Most multi-national companies have an office in London as it’s a business hub, and it’s a lot easier to get to London straight down the M1 from here than to have to tackle the M25 from some of the larger airports.”

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Luton Airport has unveiled new plans to improve its surrounding roads as it prepares for next summer’s Olympic Games.

Bosses at the airport want to reduce congestion along the East Luton corridor of the A1081 and create a smoother flow of traffic around the Central Terminal Area.

Under the plans, two new traffic lanes will be built south of Luton’s “Airport Way” leading through the existing underpass into a newly laid system in the terminal area.

The proposals, which have been submitted to the local council for approval, are specifically designed to ease delays and help the airport cope with the influx of tourists expected during London 2012.

With its close proximity to the capital, the airport is set to be one of the most convenient gateways to the Games and it was recently named by the London Mayor as one of 35 host locations for the city’s Olympic Ambassadors.

As well as creating a smoother journey to the airport for passengers, it is also hoped that the plans will benefit local residents and businesses.

Luton airport’s managing director Glyn Jones said: “We are now the fifth largest airport in the UK, attracting nearly 10 million passengers a year.

“The plans we have put forward to improve the airport’s road infrastructure will help manage the growth we have generated in recent years at one of the regional economy’s most important assets.

“This is an important part of improving the travel experience of all our passengers, including the many visitors to the Olympic Games who we are expecting to pass through the airport next year.”

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Air passengers can now travel direct from Luton Airport to Lodz in Poland.

Travellers have been taking advantage of the one-way flight with low cost airline Wizz Air since the route was launched on September 13. It runs three times a week.

The airline is currently celebrating an historic landmark after carrying its eight millionth passenger from Luton Airport in the summer. It has taken just over seven years to reach this milestone after the it started operating flights from the airport in May 2004.

The carrier has proved increasingly popular with travellers and it seems to have carved out a niche for itself, serving 20 destinations in central and eastern Europe.

Simon Harley, business development manager at Luton London Airport, said he was delighted that the airport has been able to expand its services to now include 23 routes from Wizz Air.

He added that the airline has become a key partner to the airport as a result of its rapid expansion of low cost flights offered to travellers.

Lodz is Poland’s second largest city and has a wide variety of attractions from interesting architecture in Art Nouveau style to a vibrant night life. It is also home to the longest pedestrian street in Europe. At just under five kilometres long, Ulica Piotrkowska stretches through the city centre with a diverse range of restaurants and bars running alongside.

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A survey has revealed that 7% more flights arriving and departing from Luton Airport were early or no more than 15 minutes late in the second quarter of this year, compared with the same period a year previously.

According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), “significant improvements” to the Bedfordshire airport’s on-time performance have been achieved, while average delays have reduced by five minutes, a figure also achieved at Stansted Airport.

The CAA also confirmed that 8% more flights arriving and departing from Stansted were early or no more than 15 minutes late between April and June of this year, compared with the same period in 2010.

CAA group director for regulatory policy Iain Osborne said: “The last 18 months have seen unprecedented disruption and we are pleased to see the sector recovering from this.”

Meanwhile, holidaymakers flocking to Spain for villa breaks have helped boost Luton Airport’s passenger levels.

The airport handled more than one million passengers in August, up 9% from the same period a year ago.

It was also revealed that passenger numbers at the airport rose by 11.3% in the first six months of this year.

Glyn Jones, managing director of London Luton, commented: “More business and holiday travellers have come through London’s fastest growing major airport due to the competitive airline partnerships we have attracted.”

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People heading to Corfu now have more choice of who to fly with after it was announced that Monarch will include the destination as part of its service from Luton Airport.

Corfu flights available from Luton

Flights between Luton and Corfu International Airport will be available on Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays, with one-way fare prices starting at £68.99, including flights and taxes.

Simon Harley, business development manager at the London facility, said: “It is great to announce the start of this new scheduled service to Corfu with one of our trusted partners, Monarch, which has built on the success of its charter flights last year.”

Mr Harley said the fine beaches, good weather and historical sites of Greece make it a strong choice for Britons looking to travel abroad. Corfu also has appeal for sports fans as it is the “the home of Greek cricket”, he added.

Passengers interested in heading off to other Greek destinations can also travel to Zakynthos, Kephalonia, Thessalonika, Rhodes and Crete from Luton Airport.

Those who choose the hub as their airport base before they fly off on holiday will also have the opportunity to check their e-mails and say goodbye to their friends using a fast and reliable pay-as-you-go WiFi service.

It has been announced that communications firm Spectrum Interactive will be the exclusive provider of wireless internet access at the airport, with roaming arrangements allowing the service to offer flexibility to passengers with iPass, Boingo and Skype Access accounts.

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Passengers at Luton Airport were treated to a touch of A-List style on Friday as J Lo jetted into London.

The 41-year-old singer arrived at Luton Airport by private jet for her performance at Capital FM’s Summertime Ball.

The American Idol judge and mother to Max and Emme stepped out in the latest trends, wearing a nude maxi dress and wedges.

And there wasn’t a bus or airport transfer service in sight as she strolled onto the tarmac clutching a brown bag.

Alongside her twins, Jennifer Lopez also brought her mother Guadalupe to watch her perform at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

More than 75,000 people are reported to have attended the event, despite the drizzly weather.

Among other stars performing at the Capital FM event were Cee-Lo Green, Katy B, JLS, Nicole Scherzinger, Jessie J and Ne-Yo.

Ms Lopez has enjoyed a career revival in the past year with her latest singles On The Floor and I’m Into You rising up the charts.

And fans in Luton and beyond look set to enjoy her new album, which she has labelled her most introspective to date.

She said: “Absolutely everything I’ve been through in my life is right there because that’s what I’ve felt and suffered and celebrated. You have to sing what you know.”

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A new pay-as-you-go WiFi service has been launched at London Luton Airport. 

Luton Airport has signed a deal with Spectrum Interactive to provide the wireless internet access in its public areas.

Cardiff Airport will also offer the pay-as-you-go service in its public areas after signing a deal with the provider.

Business and leisure travellers alike will be able to take advantage of the seamless and always-on connectivity.

Passengers with iPass, Boingo and Skype Access accounts have added flexibility due to roaming agreements.

London Luton Airport is one of the largest airports in the UK and carried almost nine million passengers in 2010. A number of airlines fly to more than  90 destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia from the airport.

Jo Fyfe, London Luton Airport spokesperson said, “Reliability, speed, ease-of-use and good support were of utmost importance when specifying a new WiFi service and Spectrum has delivered. The service provides an excellent user experience across all mobile devices.”

Daniel Gray, director of Spectrum’s travel division, said: “We are very pleased to have London Luton and Cardiff Airport on board. Like our airport partners, we see WiFi as a major contributing factor to passenger satisfaction and therefore strive to offer a best-in-class solution which helps enhance the overall travel experience.”

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More than 105,000 passengers are expected to have travelled through Luton Airport over the Easter period as the hub reflects on its achievements over the past year.

The airport is likely to see a rise in the number of passengers heading to European cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Milan, Paris and Prague over the holiday season as customers flock in their droves to take advantage of low fares to such destinations.

Sun-soaked destinations such as the Canary Islands are also proving popular with families looking to make the most of the Easter break. 

Simon Harley, the airport’s airline development manager, said: “With more than 90 destinations on offer, our passengers have a great deal of choice whether they are looking for sunshine or a cultural city break; perfect for that Easter getaway.”

The bulge in passenger numbers coincided with the publication of Luton’s 2010 Community Engagement Report, which sets out its successes over the last year and looks ahead to the future.

The airport helped raise money for a number of charity projects in 2010 – generating more than £42,000 for local charity Keech Hospice Care and raising £25,000 to aid flood victims in Pakistan.

The hub has also taken steps to become more eco-friendly by reducing its CO2 emissions by 7% from airport-controlled buildings between 2008 and 2010. In addition, It bolstered its environmental credentials further by recycling 22% of its total waste between 2009 and 2010.

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Romanian carrier Blue Air has celebrated the unveiling of its winter schedule from Luton Airport to Bucharest and Bacau by offering one-way flights for £17.79.

Blue Air offers cheap Romanian flights

The airline will run 10am flights from Luton to Bucharest on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Meanwhile, its Luton to Bacau flights will operate three times a week and will depart at 4.20pm.

The Bucharest flights will touch down at Baneasa Airport, which is the closest airport to the city centre. People travelling to Bacau might want to visit the Carpathian Mountains and the tourist region of Transylvania, which are situated nearby.

Blue Air UK country manager Alina Danculea said: ”Our flights for summer 2011 are filling fast as UK based Romanian families book their flights home to visit friends and relatives, plus a growing number of independent tourists are now choosing our services for their holiday flights to Romania. 

“Our winter flying programme from London Luton Airport is now available for everyone to book and the cheapest fares are only there until they’ve all been sold.

“It’s exciting seeing the way that demand for our low cost services is growing and growing. We have a close relationship with London Luton Airport and its clear that our choice to use London Luton has been an important factor in this growth.”

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Luton Airport switched off lights for one hour from 8.30pm last Saturday in support of this year’s Earth Hour.

Even the airport’s illuminated logo on the front of the terminal building was turned off for the hour in support of action against climate change.

Earth Hour began four years ago in Sydney, Australia, as 2.2 million people and more than 2,000 businesses switched their lights off to highlight the impact of global warming and other such environmental issues. A year later, Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries taking part. 

Saturday’s event was the biggest yet with 128 countries involved in the mass stand against climate change. Global landmarks across the world took part in this year’s event, including Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, Edinburgh Castle and Buckingham Palace, to name but a few.

Other airports like Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick could learn from Luton Airport’s example, while passengers could opt to take a bus to the airport to reduce their carbon footprint.

Luton Airport has taken a proactive approach towards managing energy use for years and has committed to an environmental policy that sets out to continuously review and improve its performance. 

The airport is committed to helping local people as well as the environment. It has announced that it will support the New Opportunities And Horizon (NOAH) Enterprise. The charity, which helps homeless people, will be the beneficiary of fundraising endeavours organised by the airport’s staff throughout the year.

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