Luton Rising has cleared the final legal barrier to expand London Luton Airport after the UK Supreme Court refused permission for campaigners to continue their appeal. The ruling allows the council-owned airport owner to proceed with a growth plan that would lift annual capacity from 19 million passengers to 32 million by the mid-2040s.
The challenge had been brought by the Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise after government approval was granted in April 2025. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander backed the scheme at that stage, but the decision was later contested in court. With the Supreme Court declining to hear the case further, the development can now move ahead without any remaining legal barrier.
The project includes a new terminal, expansion of the existing terminal and new taxiways. Luton Rising has framed the scheme as a regional economic project that could support up to 11,000 new jobs and add as much as £1.5bn to the economy. The airport is one of the major London area gateways and the plan now enters the delivery phase after years of regulatory and legal review.