UK. London Luton Airport (LLA) will issue tender documents for its eagerly anticipated duty-free bid process to a list of pre-qualified companies in February. The concession is currently operated by Aelia Duty Free (Lagardère Travel Retail).
The opportunity has attracted strong interest among leading travel retailers in Europe and worldwide at London’s fifth-largest airport. London Luton Airport said it continues to invite potential partners until the pre-qualification phase closes on 24 January.
The tender opportunity covers a main walkthrough store in airside departures, a further shop on the walk to gates plus an arrivals (duty-paid) outlet. Space in the main store will be expanded by a further 500sq m compared to today, taking the total airside footprint under the new concession to almost 2,700sq m.
The airport company will launch the tender process in February with a likely submission deadline of early July and contract award by September. The new agreement will begin in November 2026, allowing for more than a year of mobilisation planning.
London Luton Airport Chief Commercial Officer Jonathan Rayner said: “Duty free is intrinsic to the sustained successful growth we have seen in spend per passenger and average transaction value across multiple categories.
“The priority for this tender process is to select a partner that brings a strong, analytical understanding of market, brand and consumer trends, as well as the capacity to match LLA’s commitment to sustainable growth and broadening customer choice. We are looking for a partner that is positioned to complement the airport’s expanding retail mix and demonstrates the ability to go above and beyond in delivering innovation, operational excellence and simple and friendly customer service, setting the bar for all other airports.
“The objective is to forge a partnership that breaks new ground and leads the way in the duty-free sector, paving the way for LLA’s continued journey as an innovator in airport retail.”
In a move that will expand London Luton Airport’s potential consumer audience, the airport has been chosen as the latest UK base for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, effective from 1 April 2025. In the first summer of operations, the UK’s largest tour operator and third largest airline will fly to 17 destinations across Europe, including the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Mainland Spain, Portugal, Türkiye, Greece and Italy.
Other key airline partners include easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, FlyOne, SunExpress, Dan Air and El Al.
Approval has been granted to increase annual passenger capacity at the airport from 18 million to 19 million (2023 volumes reached 16.2 million). Beyond this, airport owner Luton Rising has applied to increase passenger capacity to 32 million in phases which conclude in the early 2040s, alongside far-reaching commitments to minimise its environmental impacts.
The London Luton Airport catchment area stretches from North London to the East Midlands, with regular rail and bus connections enhancing accessibility.
London Luton Airport is operated by a consortium, of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and InfraBridge, a global, diversified infrastructure manager.
For more information on the duty-free tender, please contact:
Business Development Manager Stuart Wightman stuart.wightman@ltn.aero
Head of Retail and Surface Access Mark Jennings mark.jennings@ltn.aero ✈
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