London Luton Airport (LLA), Luton Rising and East Midlands Railway (EMR) have been recognised for collaboration on the launch of the Luton Airport Express at the 2024 National Transport Awards.

The successful launch and transformational impact of the Luton Airport Express saw LLA, the airport owner Luton Rising, and EMR bag the prestigious award for Best Alliance and Collaboration.

The all-electric Luton Airport Express has made the journey from train to plane even quicker and simpler for passengers travelling to LLA from central London, with a journey time of around half an hour. The service links to the Luton Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) introduced in March 2023 to transport passengers directly from Luton Airport Parkway train station to the airport terminal in just four minutes.

The National Transport Awards highlight the commitment, expertise, and innovation of organisations working to improve transport networks across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. 

Alberto Martin, Chief Executive of London Luton Airport said: “Enhancing connectivity and promoting sustainable travel are key to London Luton Airport’s plans for responsible growth and reducing the environmental impact of journeys to the airport. The Luton Airport Express service, alongside the Luton DART, brings LLA even closer to central London, with a faster, more frequent and more convenient service that has transformed the appeal of rail as a sustainable travel option for passengers travelling to and from the airport.” 

Cllr Javeria Hussain, Vice Chair of Luton Rising, said: “Customers choosing rail to get to and from our airport want to know that all the companies involved in their journey are collaborating closely to provide them with the most seamless experience possible. It’s very rewarding for that partnership working to be recognised.

“Together, the Luton Airport Express and Luton DART are offering one of the fastest connections to the capital of any UK airport, and driving a significant modal shift to rail compared to when the previous bus shuttle service was in operation.” 

Jenna Cowie, Head of Revenue and Marketing at East Midlands Railway, said: “It’s great to be recognised alongside our partners in the project, London Luton Airport and Luton Rising. The Luton Airport Express has been a great success making the journey simpler for our customers and as a result increasing the number of journeys by more than 50 per cent since launch in March 2023, along with the new DART shuttle service. Our collaborative approach has meant a joined-up, targeted strategy, enabling us to offer value for money, a fast service and convenient travel the Luton Airport Express provides.”

The National Transport Award rounded off a hugely successful week for the Luton DART, which also scooped the ‘Outstanding Engineering Achievement’ award and highly commended status in the ‘Project of the Year’ category at the Global Light Rail Awards, which celebrate outstanding achievements in the light rail and urban transit sector.

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About London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s busiest airports, carrying over 16.2 million passengers in 2023. The airport is 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 easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

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. This followed being named as the UK’s best airport by readers of the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller magazine in 2023.

Last year, LLA also became only the 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 two consecutive years in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) benchmark of sustainability governance management and performance of major infrastructure assets worldwide.

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

London Luton Airport – PR agency:
E: LLA@tinmancomms.com

URL: https://mediahub.london-luton.co.uk/news/11102024/lla-shifts-to-high-gear-with-transport-award-wins