How closely are Luton Airport’s expansion and Bedford’s Universal Theme Park connected?

London Luton Airport, situated close to the centre of a declining industrial town north of London, has become the UK's fifth busiest airport and retained that accolade, built mainly on low cost and charter traffic to vacation destinations.

It was proposed as a four-runway alternative to London Heathrow Airport when the Airports Commission deliberated on that matter in the mid 2010s, but that was quickly swept under the carpet.

Subsequently, it was identified for more modest expansion and maximum passenger growth from 18 million annual passengers to 32 million.

The government has just agreed to support that application, and then almost in the same breath, announced the development of a huge US-owned theme park in the southern suburbs of Bedford - an inconspicuous county town 20 miles (32km) to the north of the airport.

Luton will be the closest commercial airport to the UK's first US-owned theme park when one is built by the Universal Music Group, to open in 2031.

Now calculations have to be redone, and the results recalibrated.

How will this amusement park, which is expected to receive 8.5 million guests in its first year - half of Luton Airport's annual passenger throughput in 2024 - influence demand there? Will the latest cap be adequate? How many visitors, from home and abroad, will use other airports? Or travel by rail or other surface methods?

And it hasn't even got planning permission yet (although the government will undoubtedly try to 'facilitate' that). Everyone knows what a pain getting planning permission can be in the UK.