Luton Airport 'sale' process being readied for take-off

The local authority-owned company behind Luton Airport is preparing to sell the rights to operate Britain's fifth-busiest aviation hub when its current deal expires in six years' time.

Sky News has learnt that Luton Rising, which is owned by Luton Council, has picked investment bankers to oversee a process to award a new long-term operating licence for the airport as it plots a massive expansion programme.

Industry sources said that Cantor Fitzgerald, the American investment bank, had been among those in the frame to work with Luton Rising on the appointment of new concession operators by the end of 2029.

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Aena Internacional, the Spanish operator, and Aerofi, a subsidiary of French private equity firm Ardian, acquired the airport concessionaire in November 2013.

The deal runs until 2032, although Aena, which owns 51% of the company, has since been joined by infrastructure investor Infrabridge, which holds the remaining 49%.

Luton Airport served 16.7 million passengers in 2024, and believes that an ambitious expansion programme over the next decade could lead to that figure nearly doubling by the mid-2040s.

The government initially approved the plans in April last year, but it took until the end of last month for them to clear their final legal hurdle.

Luton Rising has forecast that the construction of a new terminal, expansion of the existing one and addition of new taxiways could support nearly 11,000 new jobs at the site.

The value of a deal to new operators was unclear on Tuesday, although analysts said it was likely to reflect both Luton Airport's proposed expansion and the broader rise in valuations of aviation infrastructure assets.

In a statement issued to Sky News, a spokesman said: "Luton Rising does not publicly comment on confidential matters.

"However, we can reiterate that securing best value for the residents of Luton remains, and will always remain, our overriding priority."

(c) Sky News 2026: Luton Airport 'sale' process being readied for take-off