THE owner of Luton Airport and its operator have announced they are to merge expansion plans for the site.

Development plans by London Luton Airport Limited, the company which owns the airport, and London Luton Aiport Operations, the airport's operator, submitted separately have been through a public consultation with residents and businesses.

Following this, both companies have decided to integrate the plans for expanding the airport's capacity within its existing boundary.

They say plans will be to increase the capacity to between 16.6 to 18 million passengers a year from the current 9.5 million.

At the end of last month Hertfordshire County Council was told of secret plans to treble the size of Luton Airport to 30 million passengers a year.

It is hoped a new planning application will be submitted in the summer, after which public consultations will take place.