Thomas Cook Airlines is to begin flights from London Luton Airport (LLA) in a major coup for London’s fastest growing airport. The news comes as LLA marks two consecutive years of passenger growth.

LLA welcomed 1.05 million passengers in March, a 24.4% increase in passenger numbers compared with the same month last year. The increase marks the first time that over a million passengers passed through the airport in March.

Thomas Cook’s arrival means that LLA has almost doubled the number of airlines operating at the airport from nine to 17 in the past two years. IAG-subsidiary Vueling and Air France-KLM’s Transavia are the most recent carriers to begin operations from LLA since the start of 2016.

Thomas Cook will offer four new charter routes from LLA beginning in summer 2017. Flights will operate between LLA and the popular holiday islands of Ibiza, Menorca, Corfu and Majorca.

As well as welcoming new airlines, LLA is also seeing existing carriers grow their route network. Last week Blue Air began flights from LLA to Turin and will launch its fifth destination — Larnaca in Cyprus — from 25th April.

LLA is responding to record demand from passengers with a £110 million redevelopment and investment programme. The project will increase annual capacity from 12 million to 18 million passengers per year by 2020, as well as delivering major upgrades to the airport’s facilities, including:

⦁ A complete redesign of the terminal to create a quick, efficient, friendly and convenient passenger experience.
⦁ Major upgrades to transport links, including better road access to the M1, new car parking facilities, a remodelled bus and coach interchange and improved rail links.
⦁ Exciting new shopping and eating options and the development of a new world-class executive lounge.