Airspace change on schedule for implementation

A change to London Luton Airport’s arrival flightpaths is on track for implementation on 24 February 2022.

The change comprises a new holding area near the A1-A14 junction at circa 9,000ft over Grafham Water, and changed flightpaths for 70% of the airport’s arrivals. There are minimal changes from today’s flight paths below 5,000ft, but a greater dispersion of flights above 5,000ft. The holding stack will only be used during the busiest periods or if aircraft are prevented from landing immediately.

It will simplify and modernise the arrival routes for flights into the UK’s fifth busiest airport and separate them from Stansted’s. Given the growth at both airports in recent years, separate arrival routes and a dedicated hold for each airport will ensure continued safety and help reduce delay. It will end the current situation where a delay at either airport can also mean a delay for the other as aircraft queue in the same hold.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved the airspace change in November 2021 following an extensive public consultation that ran from October 2020 to February 2021.

For more details on this airspace change, please check the CAA portal.

* Please note, while the consultation has been known as London Luton Airport Arrivals, on the CAA website the proposal is referred to by its technical name, ‘Swanwick Airspace Improvement Programme – Airspace Deployment 6’.