(01.10.25 13:00 BST) London Luton Airport (LLA) has today confirmed the selection of Lagardère Travel Retail to operate duty free stores at the airport. The 10-year contract will come into force on November 1 2026, and was awarded following a comprehensive tender process.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lagardère Travel Retail will operate a significantly extended duty free retail space across the terminal, rising from the current 2,530m² to 3,340m², enhancing the shopping experience for passengers travelling through the airport.

The new concession will see LLA’s main duty free store in departures grow by over 40%, from 1,870m² to 2,680m², and will also include the operation of a secondary duty free store in departures and a store in arrivals.

Aligned to LLA’s vision to offer a shopping experience that is unexpected, immersive, and fun, the main duty free store is set to undergo a comprehensive and exciting new redesign that will include an eye-catching new Bottega Prosecco bar, designed specifically for the airport. 

The new concession will feature a range of international brands with curated displays and a distinctive sense of place that showcases the local region’s heroes. Iconic British and local brands such as Fortnum & Mason, Creed, Charlotte Tilbury and Cadbury will feature alongside a dedicated space for sustainable products, ensuring a fresh new standard for LLA’s duty free retailing.

Mark Jennings, Head of Retail and Surface Access at London Luton Airport, commented: “London Luton Airport has partnered with Lagardère Travel Retail since 2005, a 20-year period that has seen passenger numbers at the airport climb from around 9 million to almost 18 million this year. Throughout this period, Lagardère Travel Retail has demonstrated its strategic credentials, offering even greater choice through the introduction of exciting luxury and affordable international brands, whilst delivering gold standard service based on strong experiential and promotional engagement.

“Our continued collaboration with Lagardère Travel Retail follows a highly competitive tender process, delivered with the support of the airport owner Luton Rising and under the stewardship of shareholders AENA and Infrabridge, in which the winning proposal stood out for its quality and for matching the scale of our duty free ambitions in this next exciting new chapter for the airport.” 

Peter Newbould, Chief Executive Officer UK & Ireland at Lagardère Travel Retail, said: "This is a proud moment for all of us at Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland. Our teams have worked tirelessly on this tender and I am delighted that London Luton Airport has recognised our determination to take the quality of duty free retail to a new level here. We’ve built a strong platform in LLA over recent years but we can always do more to ensure we meet the changing needs of our customers. I would also like to sincerely thank all at London Luton Airport for their trust. We look forward to working closely with them to achieve our common goals together.”

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About London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s busiest airports, operated by a consortium, of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and InfraBridge, a leading infrastructure investment manager. Airlines include Jet2, easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

The airport is owned for community benefit by Luton Rising, a company wholly-owned by Luton Council, which has invested more than £500m in front-line, voluntary and charitable services since 1998.

The Luton Airport Express is a new dedicated train service that allows passengers to travel from central London to the LLA terminal in around 30 minutes. The Luton Airport Express runs from St Pancras International to Luton Airport Parkway station and connects seamlessly with the DART, an electrically powered people mover that connects to the airport terminal in less than four minutes.

In 2024, LLA was named European Airport of the Year (10-25 million passengers) by ACI EUROPE, and in 2025 LLA received the highest possible rating of 'Very Good' in the annual Airport Accessibility report published by the CAA, assessing assisted travel service performance.

Last year, LLA also became the only third major UK airport to achieve Level 4 of the globally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, demonstrating that it is ‘transforming its operations to achieve carbon reductions in line with global climate goals’. With a maximum score of 100 and a five-star rating, LLA has been ranked as a sector leader for three consecutive years in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) benchmark of sustainability governance management and performance of major infrastructure assets worldwide.

LLA continues to be a major employer and a key economic driver in Bedfordshire — supporting 28,000 jobs and contributing £830 million per year to the local economy. In 2024, LLA spent 60% of its supply chain costs with more than 300 businesses within a 25-mile radius of the airport, totalling £110 million.

To learn about the progress London Luton Airport is making across its sustainability programme please click here.

Further information on London Luton Airport can be found here: https://www.london-luton.co.uk/

Contact Details:

London Luton Airport Press Office
T: 01582 395333
E: pressoffice@ltn.aero

URL: https://mediahub.london-luton.co.uk/news/01102025/lla-selects-lagardre-for-duty-free-operations