Passenger traffic was down 74 per cent at London Luton last month, despite the resumption of over 50 routes by the airport’s largest airline Wizz Air.

The Hungarian low-cost carrier was among the first to resume regular scheduled flights from the UK following the onset of Covid-19, and is currently operating services to 58 destinations from Luton.

The airport said that it had had “the strongest recovery of any major airport in the UK”, with July’s passenger numbers representing a significant increase on the previous month, but it warned that the figures “show that coronavirus is continuing to have a dramatic impact on the aviation industry”.

London Luton is gradually reopening terminal services as traffic increases, with the Aspire Lounge opening its doors this week “following an extensive re-fit which was delayed by the pandemic”.

The airport’s CEO Alberto Martin government assistance would be key to recovery over the coming months.

“Seeing an increasing number of passengers passing through the airport safely is a rich reward for all the hard work and effort our teams have put in on the ground during this incredibly difficult period,” said Martin.

“While we’re delighted to see more passengers passing through the airport, we are still a long way from normal. Over the next couple of months Government assistance is going to be key. From providing passengers the reassurance they need to be able to take a long-awaited holiday to helping the sector and those who work in it play an essential role supporting the UK’s economic recovery.”

This week London Heathrow reported July traffic figures of just 867,000 passenger, down 88.8 per cent on the same period in 2019.

Heathrow’s July traffic down nearly 90 per cent

london-luton.co.uk