400 Local Job Opportunities at London Luton Airport’s Inaugural Careers Fair

• Over 900 people attended the event

• Jobs available immediately with 32 airport-linked employers

• Airport’s expansion will create over 7,000 local jobs by 2020

London Luton Airport (LLA) and event partner, Luton Borough Council, played host to a hugely successful jobs fair yesterday. The airport’s first ever careers event drew over 937 people to the UK Carnival Arts centre in Luton, comfortably exceeding expectations.

The event brought together 32 employers based in and around the airport who are all actively looking for new staff. In total, exhibiting employers were offering over 400 current vacancies at the event. Attendees were able to meet prospective employers, establish contacts and find out more about the opportunities available.

LLA is currently investing over £110million to transform the airport and increase capacity. The investment is expected to create 7,100 new jobs in the Three Counties area, increasing the number of people employed by the airport and its supply chain from 15,900 in 2013 to 23,000* by 2030.

The opportunities available at the careers fair ranged from entry-level roles for school leavers and young people, to managerial functions and technical specialties for more experienced workers. Research shows that the average gross wage at LLA is £38,000 per year, compared to £27,000 nationally.

The event also highlighted the huge range of firms operating at LLA. Exhibiting companies ranged from construction firms working on the redevelopment, engineering firms that maintain aircraft, retail firms and travel companies. Organisations present included some of the UK’s biggest brands, including easyJet, the RAF, Thomson and National Express.

Chika Austin, Community Relations Executive at LLA, said: “It was great to see so many members of our local community at the fair looking to be part of this hugely exciting time for the airport. Our £110million transformation isn’t just about improving passengers’ experience – we also want local residents to share in our success.”

“The fair provided a great opportunity for local people to get to know the wide range of employers at LLA. With over 400 roles on offer for immediate starts, the event proved a fantastic opportunity for local job-seekers to speak directly to local employers. After such a successful event, we’re looking forward to welcoming a host of new faces at the airport embarking on exciting new careers.”

Luton resident Junaid Malik is four days into his new role as an IT support technician, fulfilling a long-held ambition to work at the airport. Junaid said: “I feel really proud, I’ve always been looking into how the airport is developing and all the expansion which is currently occurring. I’m really looking forward to carrying on and developing my career here.”

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*Oxford Economics report, November 2015

To find out more about working at LLA please visit: http://www.london-luton.co.uk/corporate/working-at-lla

Firms Hiring at the LLA Jobs & Careers Fair

Airlines

• Monarch Group
• Thomson
• Harrods Aviation Ltd
• Signature
• easyJet

Retail and hospitality

• FRISKA (Delaware North)
• Bella Italia /Oriel (CDG)
• Humphreys (Kudos)
• Benugo
• Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants
• PRET
• Aelia
• The Restaurant Group
• SSP
• WHSmith
• Auntie Anne’s
• Menzies
• Wasabi

Transport

• Govia Thameslink Railway Limited
• Arriva
• National Express
• Vauxhall

Operations

• APCOA (car parking)
• Royal Air Force
• LTN Security
• NATS
• Swissport
• Ryebridge
• Bagport

Other

• The Prince’s Trust
• Keech Hospice Care
• AVS Recruitment

About London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s largest airports and carried 12.3 million passengers in 2015, an increase of 16.9% on 2014. The airport indirectly employs over 9,400 staff and is a key economic driver for the region.

easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Monarch, Thomson, EL AL, Blue Air, TAROM, SunExpress, Iberia (Air Nostrum), Vueling, Fly KISS, Transavia and Adria Airways currently operate from the airport. Thomas Cook Airlines will also begin flights from the airport in 2017. The airport’s route network serves 130 destinations including services to Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The airport is operated and developed by a consortium of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and Ardian, a major European investor.

LLA is currently investing over £110million to transform the airport and increase capacity from 12 million to 18 million passengers per year by 2020. The redevelopment plans will include a complete redesign of the terminal, bringing in new and exciting retail and dining options, and major upgrades to transport links, including better road access to the M1, new car parking facilities, a remodelled bus and coach interchange and improved rail links to Luton Airport Parkway station. In addition, a new £200 million light rail system linking the airport with Luton Airport Parkway station have been announced and are anticipated to be completed by 2020.