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The Airport puts on a performance

Published: 09 February 2009

London Luton Airport held its first ’Community Celebration Event’ on 29th January amidst colourful carnival costumes singing and dancing. The event was organised to showcase the rich artistic talent present in local communities today and look back over the Airport’s successful participation in the local community over the last year.

Simon Earles, General Manager Planning and CSR at London Luton Airport said 'this event represents 12 months of community engagement activity, for both us and our partners.  It is fantastic to see so many people with the common goal of making a positive contribution to the local community here tonight.  It is this level of support and commitment from employees, stake holders and community groups that has made 2008 so successful.'

During the evening the Airport's Managing Director, Glyn Jones, formally launched the London Luton Airport 2008 Annual Report that summarises the Airport's Community Engagement achievements in 2008.  He also outlined new and more challenging commitments for Community Engagement in 2009.

Glyn Jones said 'We are immensely proud of the progress that was made in 2008 and we will do even more in 2009.  We have set challenging targets and commit to delivering community projects that are both visible and apparent.  We look forward to working in partnership to build a foundation of strong relationships between the airport and its communities.'
 
The event was attended by representatives from over 50 organisations from the local community along with airport employees.

For more information contact

London Luton Airport Press Office on: 07714 728035

pressoffice@ltn.aero
  

Photographs of the event are available on request.

Notes to Editors:

Key stake holder speakers at the event

Simon Kitchener, Principal of Luton Sixth Form College

Lloyd Conaway, Director of the Bedfordshire County Sports Partnership

Paul Anderson, Director of the UK Centre for Carnival Arts, UKCCA

Performers at the event:

Zola Joseph, Luton Sixth Form College

Ish, a teacher at Icknield School and a street dance performer

Dave Elliott, Salsa performer

RAMPAGE dance group

The Phoenix Players

The Lorenzi String Quartet

Terry Lock, Magician

London Luton Airport is one of the UK's largest airports now carrying over 10 million passengers, an increase of nearly 400 per cent over the last decade.  Employing close to 500 staff, the airport is a major economic driver for the region, as well as a major base for 'low cost' or 'no frills' air travel. 

EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Monarch, Thomson Airways, SkyEurope, transavia.com, Aer Arann, Flybe and Thomas Cook operate from the airport, departing to over 95 destinations including services to Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The airport is operated and developed by a consortium of which Abertis Infraestructuras, a leading European infrastructure provider, is a 90 per cent majority shareholder and Aena Internacional, the international business arm of Aena, the Spanish national airport and air traffic control organisation, is a 10 per cent shareholder. 

In January 2008 London Luton Airport launched its Community Engagement Strategy, which set out the Airport's formal commitments to the community up to 2012.  The strategy focuses on three action areas, 'A Better Environment', 'A Vibrant Neighbourhood' and 'A Growing Economy', identifying priority programmes in each one. 

The London Luton Airport Annual Report, published today, outlines new and more challenging commitments for Community Engagement in 2009 that include a 5% increase in recycling, commitment to a £50,000 Airport 'Community Fund' and employee training that will ensure 70% of all London Luton Airport Operations Ltd. managers and supervisory staff complete NVQ Level 2 personal development training.