Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
Luton: birthplace of legends. I am not thinking here about singer Paul Young or broadcaster Stacey Dooley, but of Europe’s two biggest budget airlines. Luton airport was chosen by young entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou as the base for a new carrier, easyJet, in 1995. And nine years earlier than that, the Bedfordshire airport was the first destination from Dublin for an Irish start-up called Ryanair.
