Three years ago I argued that London Luton Airport should have priority for expansion to provide for growing passenger numbers in the South East. I pressed London Luton’s case in the Commons on several occasions, much to the appreciation of other members who were unhappy about the expansion proposals for their own local airports, especially the big three – Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick. Luton’s case for growth, if anything, is now stronger, and for a number of reasons, some of which I identified those three years ago.

Forecasts at that time suggested that unconstrained demand in the South East would mean an increase of 100 million air passengers between 2000 and 2030. I wrote at the time that “before that happens, it is a racing certainty that some constraints will be imposed on the growth of air travel, with environmental taxes top of the list”. The political pressure to constrain air travel is growing, and rising oil prices will inevitably raise costs and dent demand for air travel too. It is even possible that we may all try in future not to indulge in excessive air travel for the sake of the environment.

But even at the lower end of growth forecasts, additional airport capacity in the South East will continue to be needed.

So where would a rational transport planner put that new capacity? What about on the M1 to the north of London, and on a main railway line from central London to the Midlands and the north, with an upgraded, fast, electrified service into the City of London? On geographical grounds alone, London Luton wins by a street – or perhaps a runway. London Luton’s ‘noise footprint’ is mostly rural, and the airport’s expansion would have much less impact on the local environment and on property than the other options in the South East. Furthermore, there is a local workforce ready and waiting for the new jobs to arrive from the airport expansion.

Plans for an entirely new airport in the South East have been abandoned, at least for the time being. A new runway at Heathrow would affect tens of thousands of local residents, as well as increasing over-flying across built up London. An early expansion of London Luton could ease demand pressures.

As to the other big BAA airports in the South East, Stansted will require the destruction of many homes in rural Essex, and the airport is in any case less well placed than London Luton, as is Gatwick.

By contrast with these other options, London Luton passenger capacity can be expanded quickly and inexpensively. By enhancing and lengthening its single runway provision and with a parallel taxiway, London Luton could increase passenger capacity from seven million to around 30 million a year, providing a substantial boost to South East capacity while other options continue to be mired in delay, anguish and opposition.

There is now another factor that could boost Luton’s attractiveness. A new generation of aircraft is soon to be introduced and could be operating from London Luton as soon as 2009. With composite bodies in place of metal, they will carry more passengers, use less fuel and could operate comfortably from London Luton on some long-haul routes.

These aircraft will also have a much smaller noise footprint on take-off, so will be environmentally beneficial all round. It is likely that London Luton will remain focused more on short and medium-haul destinations but the prospect of genuine long-haul flights in modern, efficient aircraft with large passenger payloads will make London Luton a much more attractive proposition to operators and passengers alike.

If passenger forecasts turn down substantially in the coming years, it might even be that London Luton could provide sufficient extra capacity for the South East, taken together with the most efficient use of existing capacity at the other major airports.

Larger airliners are coming into service in any case, so that more passengers will be able to travel in fewer aircraft in future from the major airports.

London Luton Airport’s land transport links, good now, are to be radically improved. The new Luton Airport Parkway station is already functioning, ready and waiting for the Thameslink 2000 upgraded rail services into London. Thameslink 2000 is long promised, and could be phased to coincide with the airport expansion. A fixed link people-mover direct from railway platforms to airport concourse is under consideration, and a London Luton to Heathrow ‘flyer’ rail service is a real possibility with use of upgraded existing track.  The Luton eastern corridor road scheme, linking the M1 to the airport, is already committed, and eventually a Luton north ring-road linking the A5, M1, A1081 (A6) and A505 with a spur to the airport is also envisaged in the longer term.

All these transport links to London Luton together confirm London Luton as the best connected airport in the South East, and perhaps in the country.

There are those who will be affected by expansion and those who vehemently object. But many local people want our airport at Luton to expand for the jobs and prosperity that it will bring. If we need and wish to travel by air, we have to have airports – and London Luton is the most sensible and the easiest option for the South East.