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We recognise that our business activities have environmental consequences and we continuously review our environmental performance to seek to minimise and mitigate those effects. This section sets out what positive action community members can expect from London Luton Airport in delivering a better local environment.

LLAOL strives to deliver continual improvement in this area, working closely with key stakeholders and the London Luton Airport Consultative Committee

Environmental Management

Through the adoption of a formal Environmental Management System (EMS), we are committed to continuously review the airport’s environmental performance to seek to minimise and manage those effects. 

LLAOL has developed an over-arching Environmental Policy  which sets out our commitment to manage the Airport’s environmental impact. Where necessary, this policy is supported by sub-policies. 

 

London Luton Airport Environmental Policy

London Luton Airport Operations Limited (LLAOL) recognises that its business activities and operations have environmental consequences and will continuously review its environmental performance to seek to minimise and manage those effects. In pursuit of this, LLAOL commits to:
 

• comply with relevant environmental legislation.
• maintain a formal Environmental Management System which demands continual improvement of its environmental performance.
• prevent pollution by controlling its emissions to air, land and water wherever possible.
• identify, monitor and manage the impact of noise on the surrounding community.
• minimise airport-related CO2 emissions, including adopting a proactive approach to energy management.
• minimise waste and increase levels of recycling.
• encourage the use of more sustainable transport modes by employees, passengers and visitors to the Airport.
• enhance the ecological and landscape value of the airfield and surrounding area, where possible.
• communicate the Environmental Policy to employees, passengers, business partners and the local community.
• inform and educate LLAOL employees and business partners on environmental issues relevant to the Airport
• undertake an annual review of environmental policies, objectives and targets
• This Environmental Policy will encompass those business activities, services and locations directly under the control of LLAOL. Where LLAOL does not have direct control, it will seek support from business partners to work towards the principles of this policy.

Glyn Jones
Managing Director
London Luton Airport

December 2008

You can also view this policy and the sub-policies in our Publications Section.
 

Aircraft & Ground Noise

London Luton Airport understands noise is the source of most concern for some local community members. We are committed to managing the impact of noise on our surrounding environment.

We have developed a noise management programme through close consultation with local communities and our users. Based on a combination of regulations and economic instruments we believe that our programme continues to set the standard for best practice in the UK.

London Luton Airport's recently upgraded Aircraft Noise & Track Monitoring System is a comprehensive system to monitor and record actual flown tracks and noise levels of London Luton Airport aircraft operations. This integrated system includes many components, including a network of three permanent noise monitors that measure the noise environment and a system directly connected to the air traffic control radar that collects aircraft flight tracks.

Feedback from our neighbours is crucial to the success of this program. Any information from surrounding residents concerning airport noise in neighbouring communities is entered into our complaints database. This information is analysed to identify trends in specific aircraft noise disturbance and consequently helps the airport to minimise the impact of its operations. This data is published in the quarterly Airfield Environment Reports presented to the London Luton Airport Consultative Committee and also in the Annual Monitoring Report published by Luton Borough Council.

We seek to strike a balance between the growing number of aircraft movements to and from London Luton Airport and any resulting noise disturbance caused to local communities. Our noise management programme has evolved from close consultation with local communities and Luton-based airlines.

An information pack is available to download from the foot of this page and which outlines Airport actions in minimising noise, general information on arrivals and departures and sample actual flown tracks of London Luton aircraft operations are available.

Further details can be found within quarterly Airfield Environment Reports, which are available to view in our Publications section.

 

If you have a complaint about aircraft noise, please fill out our Noise Complaint Form which can be found by clicking here

 

Helicopter Activity

In November 2007 London Luton Airport introduced a number of Visual Reference Points (VRPs) in order to reduce the impact of helicopter traffic on built-up areas to the south of the Airport. This document answers some common questions that have been raised during this process.

 

Climate Change

The UK aviation industry has already taken a leadership role in seeking to address aviation’s contribution towards global climate change. It has lobbied for the early inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

At present London Luton Airport is working with the Carbon Trust to understand the scale of CO2 emissions associated with airport activity. The Carbon Management Programme involves a five step programme as show by the chart.

Once this process is concluded, London Luton Airport will develop and implement an action plan with a view to proactively addressing CO2 emissions within our control. This will be supported by the publication of a climate change policy.

Where emissions are directly outside of London Luton Airport’s control (i.e. aircraft emissions), we will work with our airlines and the Airport Operators Association to facilitate continued improvements in the environmental performance of aircraft.

Energy

At present, 15% of airport-related CO2 emissions come from the generation of electricity and gas to meet the airport’s energy requirements. This includes heating, cooling and lighting of buildings and other airport-related facilities, many under the direct control of London Luton Airport Operations limited.

London Luton Airport is currently working closely with the Carbon Trust, and is currently completing the Carbon Management Programme. This process will result in a clear action plan for delivering energy efficiency improvements across the airport. It is our intention to work closely with our business partners to deliver energy efficiency improvements across the Airport as a whole. We will benchmark any improvements against passenger numbers and set measurable targets.

London Luton Airport is an active member of the AOA Airport Carbon Management Group, and continually shares best practice and completes benchmarking activities with other UK airports.

Waste Management

Waste management represents a major challenge due to the number and diversity of businesses operating across the Airport.

London Luton Airport is currently developing a waste management strategy for the Airport, in partnership with Envirowise. The strategy will be successfully implemented through working with our waste management company and key business partners to introduce policies and procedures to minimise waste and increase recycling. The waste management strategy will be fully integrated into the Airport Environmental Management System. With terminal passenger recycling and retailer glass recycling facilities already installed this indicates the benefits clear waste management provides, not only to our businesses but also to the community as a whole.

Surface Access

London Luton Airport has unrivalled links to London, Midlands, the North and the East of England. We are committed to further enhancing surface access links to the Airport across all transport nodes, so that the Airport remains accessible for our passengers, visitors and staff. This will be achieved by working with a range of local, regional and national stakeholders.

A high proportion of our passengers already travel by public transport to/from the Airport, which has excellent rail access to London, the Midlands and the North. Regional coach services have been significantly enhanced in recent years, supported by the opening of the Onward Travel Centre in the terminal.

London Luton Airport published its first Airport Surface Access Strategy in July 2000, which set challenging targets to increase the proportion of airport passengers and employees travelling by more sustainable modes of transport. In 2008, London Luton Airport, working with partners, will deliver further enhancements to encourage greater use of public transport and will publish a revised Airport Surface Access Strategy.

Air Quality

We have a programme of Air Quality monitoring to determine the contribution of the airport to local air emissions. We have recently integrated this programme into that of the surrounding Local Authorities and daily data with a monthly report is available to view online on the website www.hertsbedsair.org.uk

Other Issues

London Luton Airport will continue to develop policies and programmes to positively manage other important environmental impacts including local air quality, water resources, biodiversity, ecology and landscape.

Draft Noise Action Plan Consultation

The Draft Noise Action Plan consultation has now closed. London Luton Airport is currently assessing all responses to the consultation process and will submit a Final Draft Noise Action Plan to the Department for Transport and Department for the Environment, Food and Rural affairs by the end of January 2010. 

The Final Noise Action Plan will be published subject to formal adoption by DEFRA and DfT.

London Luton Airport would like to thank all stakeholders and members of the community that took the time to contribute to the consultation process.