LLA Invests in Low-Carbon Vehicle Transition

(London Luton Airport) London Luton Airport (LLA) has taken another key step towards its ambition to achieve Net Zero* for its airport emissions by 2040, following a multi-million-pound investment in a fleet of sustainable car park transfer buses and operational vehicles used across the airport.

The new buses are powered by ISCC (International Sustainability Carbon Certification) certified hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a lower-carbon alternative to diesel that can save up to 90% of carbon emissions across the fuel’s lifecycle.

The investment in the buses, alongside the transition of all airside operations vehicles to HVO and an increase in the number of electric vehicles (EV), means that almost two thirds of LLA’s operational fleet will be electric or running on low-carbon fuel by the end of 2024.

David Vazquez, Head of Sustainability at London Luton Airport, commented: “As part of our commitment to Net Zero, we have set targets to implement a 100% low-carbon fleet by 2030. From the end of this year, this latest transition, will reduce our airport emissions* by nearly 15%, playing an important role in our plans for responsible growth.

“All aspects of our sustainability strategy are underpinned by collaboration and I'm grateful to teams across the business, who work so hard to embed better environmental and social practices into their daily roles and responsibilities.”

LLA’s trajectory to Net Zero focuses on six key areas that will see the airport working with partners and the wider industry to implement various decarbonisation initiatives. These include developing on-site renewables, phasing out natural gas, improving energy efficiency, and transitioning our operational fleet to low carbon alternatives.

* Net Zero for airport emissions includes Scope 1 - emissions sourced and controlled directly by LLA and Scope 2 - emissions indirectly emitted by LLA and sourced from the production of electricity on the national grid.

HVO is a fossil-free fuel made from vegetable oils and fats, which can be used as a cleaner, more sustainable replacement for conventional mineral diesel.

London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s busiest airports, carrying over 16.2 million passengers in 2023. The airport is operated by a consortium, of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and InfraBridge, a leading infrastructure investment manager. Airlines include easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

The Luton Airport Express is a new dedicated train service that allows passengers to travel from central London to the LLA terminal in around 30 minutes. The Luton Airport Express runs from St Pancras International to Luton Airport Parkway station and connects seamlessly with the DART, an electrically powered people mover that connects to the airport terminal in less than four minutes.

In 2024, LLA was named European Airport of the Year (10-25 million passengers) by ACI EUROPE.

Last year, LLA also became only the third major UK airport to achieve Level 4 of the globally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, demonstrating that it is ‘transforming its operations to achieve carbon reductions in line with global climate goals’. With a maximum score of 100 and a five-star rating, LLA has been ranked as a sector leader for three consecutive years in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) benchmark of sustainability governance management and performance of major infrastructure assets worldwide.

To learn about the progress London Luton Airport is making across its sustainability programme please click here.