Luton airport looks to cast off package holiday hub image

Managers at Luton airport think that they are finally casting off the airports reputation as the package holiday hub, made famous by the song by actress Lorraine Chase and her Campari ads in the 1970s. Latest passenger numbers reveal that the airport is booming as a budget airline hub for easyJet and Ryanair, whereas charter airline usage has collapsed by 66% over the last 3 months as holiday companies slash capacity for the winter season.

In its first full trading quarter under its new Spanish owner Abertis, who bought airport group TBI for £750m in the autumn, Luton airport reported passenger numbers of 1.8m in the first 3 months of the year, an increase of 25% over 2004. And over the past 12 months, Luton has carried 8m passengers, up 20%.

The figures show that, whilst passengers flying on low-cost airlines rose by 34% in the quarter, those on charter airline slumped from 115,000 last year to 38,000. Finance director Caroline Price said that while seasonal factors were at work, and added that charter flights in any case now account for only 2% of Luton's annual throughput. 'We are not Lorraine Chase's airport of choice any more,' she said.