Excitement is building at London Luton Airport (LLA) as employees from across the airport joined forces with local performers to ‘signal’ the start of the much-anticipated Radio 1’s Big Weekend (R1BW) on 24-26th May.

Surprising and delighting passengers travelling through the airport, the high-octane dance routine was devised by celebrity choreographer Remi Black who has worked with some of the biggest names in the music business including iconic star, six-time BRITS award-winner and R1BW headliner, RAYE. 

The performance beside the runway, saw LLA staff donning high-vis vests and armed with illuminated marshalling wands, as part of an energetic routine designed to give a warm welcome to passengers at London’s simplest, friendliest airport.

Colleagues from LLA’s Guest Experience, Operations, Security, Office and Fire Service teams unveiled their talents to track ‘Head and Heart’ which is set to be performed on the R1BW main stage by artist Joel Corry, as Luton prepares to welcome a host of international stars.

The dusk performance also featured talented local dancers, including Harry Richmond, Adriano Kyere and Jada Tavernier-Durant from Luton College, dancing to a routine perfected over several hours of rehearsals overseen by Remi Black.  

Neil Thompson, Chief Operations Officer at London Luton Airport said: "As Radio 1’s Big Weekend descends upon our town, our teams have been going the extra mile to ensure a simple, friendly and welcoming experience for every act and passenger passing through the airport. Inspired by the Radio 1 dance stage, our staff have been marshalling in aircraft with an extra bounce and shuffle as we gear up to welcome thousands of visitors to Luton. It’s all hands on deck to make this weekend an unforgettable experience for everyone and show just how proud everyone at London Luton Airport is to be a part of the celebrations.”

Staff at the airport are eagerly anticipating the arrival of several international acts set to perform over the weekend - with the likes of Coldplay, Sabrina Carpenter and Becky Hill all set to hit the stage. 

As one of the UK’s most popular music festivals, attracting global artists, with thousands in attendance and millions watching on television, Radio 1’s Big Weekend is set to be one of Luton’s biggest weekend in recent times.

Aaron Salfairso, Operational Duty Manager at London Luton Airport, said: “While guiding aircraft to and from the runway is among our day-to-day responsibilities, we wanted to play our part in this huge weekend for the town by providing a fun twist and sharing some aviation-themed dance moves to bring a smile to passengers' faces. It's been great to bring a bit of flair to the role while ensuring everything at the airport continues to run like ‘clockwork’, which we’re sure Coldplay would appreciate.”

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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 2023, LLA was named the UK’s best airport by readers of the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller magazine. 

Last year, LLA became one of the first major UK airports 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/

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/21052024/lla-staff-welcome-radio-1s-big-weekend