News story: Aviation Minister meets apprentices on visit to Luton airport

Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg visited Luton Airport today (19 January 2018) to meet apprentices and trainees working at the heart of the aviation industry.

The minister was provided with an overview of Luton’s £150 million redevelopment and met some of the apprentices who are helping to transform the airport’s vision into reality.

Baroness Sugg’s visit to Luton Airport took place at the end of a week in which the government, working alongside industry, launched the Year of Engineering, a campaign which aims to increase the number of young people pursuing a career in engineering.

Touring the newly-extended terminal which is due to open later this year, the minister met one of the successful trainees from the civil engineering company behind the work. Following the completion of a two-year apprenticeship, the former apprentice joiner has a permanent role as a trainee site manager overseeing the transformation of the terminal building.

Baroness Sugg also visited Luton Airport’s control tower for a bird’s eye view of the redevelopment and met a graduate of EasyJet’s engineering apprenticeship programme. Having completed 26 months of classroom and on the job training, the qualified engineer works in the airline’s operations control centre, as part of the team managing aircraft technical issues for more than 280 aircraft.

Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said:

It is clear to see that the investment being put in to Luton Airport goes far beyond passengers, creating jobs, developing skills and boosting the local economy.

The work being done by the airport to upgrade the terminal and passenger facilities has created a wealth of opportunities for young people with apprenticeships and trainee schemes in a variety of areas.

This major investment not only shows how our aviation industry continues to go from strength to strength but also underlines the importance of talented young people in this British success story.

Highlighting the variety of opportunities available within engineering, the Year of Engineering campaign seeks to increase diversity, challenge misconceptions and attract more women and girls into the industry.

The current transformation of Luton Airport represents the biggest single investment in the airport’s history.

Alongside the improvement of the terminal, the security search area has been expanded, a new multi-storey car park has been built as well as new shops and restaurants.

The airport is also working with Luton Borough Council to develop a £200 million mass passenger system which will connect Luton Airport Parkway station with the airport terminal.