Mace Consult and Arcadis appointed to help deliver London Luton Airport expansion

Mace Consult has been appointed by Luton Rising to provide programme, project, cost and commercial management services for the long-term expansion of London Luton Airport.

image: Luton Rising

The consultancy will work with Arcadis to develop an integrated delivery plan for the programme, which aims to increase the airport’s annual capacity from 19m to up to 32m passengers by the mid-2040s.

Mace Consult will establish the programme schedule, systems, controls and decision-making frameworks for the scheme, as well as providing programme integration and planning, design management, commercial assurance, risk management, stakeholder engagement, consents advice and information management.

The appointment follows the programme receiving its final legal clearance in August. The expansion was granted a Development Consent Order by the Secretary of State for Transport in April 2025, allowing the airport to make use of its existing runway and increase capacity to 32m passengers a year.

The consented scheme is being delivered in phases. The first phase involves expansion of the existing terminal and associated facilities, with construction not expected to begin before 2027. A second phase would involve a new terminal and associated infrastructure, taking capacity first to 27m passengers and subsequently to 32. Luton Rising says the second terminal could open around 2041.

The wider programme includes additional aircraft stands and taxiways, supporting infrastructure and improvements to road and surface access, according to industry sources. The current construction programme has been estimated at more than £2.5bn.

Mace Consult said its role would include coordinating interfaces between the different elements of the programme while maintaining airport operations during construction.

Martyn Court, head of mobility, Europe, at Mace Consult, said the appointment would provide the systems, controls, processes and governance needed to support decision-making as the airport moves towards its expanded capacity.

Luton Rising, which is owned by Luton Borough Council for community benefit, says the expansion could create up to 11,000 jobs and generate up to £1.5bn in additional annual economic activity.

The airport currently operates close to its existing permitted capacity of 19m passengers a year. The expansion is intended to increase capacity while allowing the airport to remain operational throughout the programme.