Delivering for the passenger
A Vision for London Luton
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INTRODUCTION
easyJet welcomes the development plans proposed both by Luton Borough Council and London Luton Airport Operating Limited (LLAOL).
This document sets out easyJet’s vision for London Luton Airport, and what is required to ensure that the airport becomes a natural choice for passengers in London and the South East.
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LONDON LUTON HAS A VITAL ROLE IN THE LONDON SYSTEM
What is needed? What is the journey?Customers need to be aware of where we fly from London Luton
London Luton’s awareness levels are low in its natural catchment of North London, Bedfordshire and surrounding areas.
We need the airport to invest in raising awareness and proactively encourage scheduled passenger growth.
Airports and airlines work in partnership towards delivering the experience which makes travel easy
London Luton needs to improve its infrastructure, accessibility, and service proposition to be a natural choice for passengers in London and the surrounding region.
Growth and infrastructure realistically phased
Growth should start once the proposed capacity developments and improvements come on stream
easyJet cautions against over ambitious growth before developments are in place, which will lead to poor service for our customers
We are passionate about making travel easy and affordable - time is of the essence
A quick decision is needed on how to develop London Luton, against the backdrop of significant changes in the London airport system
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MAKING THE AIRPORT EASY TO GET TO
What is needed? What is the journey?Easy road access to the central terminal area, free of congestion during peaks
Improve the M1 J10A arterial road
Widen & reconfigure the airport access road to ease congestion
Easy, affordable and fast rail connectivity to London
Give customers an improved frequency of ‘fast’ trains to / from London, and better market the rail offerings from the airport
Remove the charge for the shuttle bus to the station
Direct access to local public transport infrastructure and taxi services
Broaden the range of local transport options available from the airport
A range of affordable and conveniently located car parking maximising customer choice and value
Ensure a more accessible and affordable car park facility close to the terminal
Develop a less intimidating policing proposal for unauthorised stopping on the access road
Welcoming access to the terminal Remove charges for ‘Drop off Zone’, Short Term Parking (less than 20 minutes) and baggage trolleys
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PASSENGER FRIENDLY TERMINAL FACILITIESWhat is needed? What is the journey?Service Delivery on the day which is consistent and supports airline objectives
Ensure that operational management in the airport gets it right, first time, all the time
Check-in which is future proofed for growth and technological advancements
Capacity which meets peak demand and technology enabled to help drive efficiency
Security Capacity which copes with growth and consistently delivers for the passenger
Enhance security facilities to reduce customer waiting times and use tools and techniques to ensure consistency of service
“Retail on the way, not in the way” – easyJet recognises that retail is an important driver in keeping airport charges low, and as a service which many passengers take advantage of, but it not the only purpose for passengers time in the airport
Increase the size of customer areas to improve passenger circulation, especially at peak times
Develop additional seating capacity for customers
Ensure the shortest/direct walk possible (“an Ikea style short cut”) from check-in to plane
Quick Turns are a critical - aircraft stands need to be walk in/walk out helping airlines pre board flights and deliver industry leading turnaround times.
Increase the number of stands and improve the ratio of contact stands (no bussing)
“Welcome to the UK” – deliver on immigration capacity which copes with growth and consistently delivers for the passenger
Overhaul immigration facilities, including the deployment of technology and resources to reduce customer waiting times
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AIRFIELD INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENABLE EFFICIENT OPERATIONS
What is needed? What is the journey?Simple and efficient taxiway system permitting speedy access to the runway
Construction of cost effective longer parallel taxiways for arriving aircraft to utilise to avoid runway/ramp congestion
Unencumbered pushback facilities, allowing two aircraft to push in the same vicinity without blocking taxiways
Development of relief and/or wider taxi facilities on the eastern apron to ease congestion and facilitate simultaneous pushback/taxi movements
Minimal runway occupancy time, through use of full length taxiways and RATS/RETS facilities to improve runway flow and minimise the risk of runway incursion
Construction of cost effective longer parallel taxiways to minimise runway time.
Recognise that runway movements per hour are not a cause of LTN congestion, rather limited space in the apron area is the key constraining factor
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THIS NEEDS TO BE DELIVERED AT THE RIGHT COST BASE
What is needed? What is the journey?We encourage efficient and cost effective facilities which are fit for purpose, with no unnecessary ‘gold plating’
Efficient and cost effective facilities rather than low cost specifications. Minimise build costs but provide for an improved passenger experience
Airport facilities matched to demand which avoids mistakes made by other airports to over engineer capacity which leads to empty terminals with high operating costs
Developments at the airport should be modular, built only on committed growth signals from airlines.
Do not risk an expansive facility which lies dormantAirport charges should be cost reflective Charges at the airport should be designed to
maximise efficient use of scare resources and reward efficient use of facilities
Airport charges should incentivise growth It s unwise to assume that capacity will be filled at current charging levels
Airports should recognise that alternative commercial structures exist to drive revenue and profitability for airport operators not least of which, the commercial till
easyJet encourages the consideration of alternative commercial structures to maximise the return to Luton Council and taxpayers
Airports should have a longer term planning horizon than most businesses given the more capital intensive nature of airport infrastructure
Any developments at the airport need to be funded over the longest possible time horizon to minimise the impact on flight prices
Appendix
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Luton is easyJet’s home and we see a positive future
Since 1995 we have grown into the largest operator at the airport
Our fleet has grown from a single 737 to a fleet of 16 state of the art A319/A320 family aircraft
We offer unrivalled connectivity to 34 destinations (and counting) Vital arterial connectivity to 4 domestic destinations in Scotland and Northern Ireland Mix of business and leisure driven routes to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East Exciting new destinations such as Reykjavik
Luton is capacity constrained at peak times and passenger experiences suffer
Security queue times are a particular pinch point, especially in the morning peak
Road infrastructure has not expanded in line with the growth in passengers at the airport
LUTON’S PLACE IN THE EASYJET VISION
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