# History Luton opened as a municipal airport in 1938 and later grew through charter, package-holiday and low-cost aviation. ## Municipal beginnings Luton Airport opened in 1938 as a municipal airport serving the town of Luton and the surrounding region. ## Charter and package holidays From the 1960s onward it became strongly associated with charter airlines and package-holiday flying, helping establish the leisure role it still has today. ## Low-cost transformation easyJet began services from Luton in 1995, and the airport later became a major Wizz Air base. The DART, opened in the 2020s, changed the final station-to-terminal leg by replacing the old shuttle-bus dependency. ## Fun facts - Luton began in 1938 as a municipal aerodrome and then served as an RAF base during the Second World War. - A 1979 advertising campaign featuring actress **Lorraine Chase** became so closely associated with Luton Airport that the airport recreated the famous publicity image for its 85th anniversary in 2023. - The airport's modern low-cost identity is closely tied to easyJet, which began flying from Luton in 1995. See Luton's [85th-anniversary history](https://mediahub.london-luton.co.uk/news/19072023/cheers-to-85-years-at-london-luton-airport). --- ## Links here - [Luton Airport](page:535)