Plans to increase Luton airport's passenger cap by one million a year have been approved by the Government.

In 2021, a planning application by the airport's operator to increase the annual cap from 18 million to 19 million passengers was approved by Luton Council.

The following year, the levelling up secretary directed that the application be referred to him, before the transport secretary made a direction for joint determination.

Following a local public inquiry last autumn, the two secretaries of state have approved the application.

London Luton Airport (LLA) said the plan makes best use of current infrastructure without the need for additional construction and would create employment and economic benefits for the local region.

Campaign groups have raised concerns about increased noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and worsened air quality.

The Climate Change Committee has said there should be no net airport expansion in the UK, at least until a capacity management framework is in place.

In their report, the secretaries of state acknowledged that noise levels would increase, ‘leading to further disturbance and annoyance’ and causing ‘moderate harm’ to quality of life for people living around the airport.

They said the disturbance would be temporary because LLA plans to modernise its fleet with quieter planes.

The secretaries of state also said the new passenger cap would result in increased greenhouse gases, including CO2, and adversely impact air quality, adding that it would not ‘fully accord’ with National Planning Policy Framework objectives to improve air quality where possible.

They said the issues of higher emissions and worsened air quality carried ‘limited weight’ against the proposal.

LLA chief executive Alberto Martin said the plan is ‘consistent with our commitment to achieve carbon neutrality for our own operations by 2026 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.’

A Luton Council spokesperson said: 'The decision had taken into account our local plan and national planning policy and guidance, and other material considerations.'

The spokesperson said the decision supported the view of the council's development management committee that 'the airport brings important and much needed socio-economic benefits to the town and the region'.

Luton Rising, the council-owned company that owns the airport, applied to the Government in February for the annual cap to be increased to 32 million passengers.