London Luton Airport — Luton, Luton, United Kingdom

London Luton Airport, coded LTN, sits roughly 50 kilometers north of central London in Bedfordshire, functioning for decades as a major base for package-holiday charter flights before reinventing itself as one of Britain's busiest low-cost hubs. Wizz Air and easyJet both operate large bases there today, sending short-haul flights across the UK, Ireland, and much of Europe from a single terminal that has been repeatedly expanded to keep pace with growth. Rail access improved substantially with the opening of the Luton DART, an automated people-mover connecting the terminal directly to Luton Airport Parkway station, replacing the shuttle buses that once frustrated travelers heading into London by train. Despite its name, LTN is not within Greater London itself, and it competes directly with Stansted and Gatwick for the capital's outbound leisure market. The airport has also weathered periods of financial and ownership turbulence, being owned by the local borough council through a long-term concession arrangement.