The Department for Transport has given the green light to Heathrow Airport’s third runway project, which is planned for completion by 2035. The £33 billion mega-investment will see a section of the M25 motorway relocated and rebuilt. The decision was made despite warnings from environmental groups regarding net-zero targets.
The new north-west runway, set to increase capacity at London’s largest airport, has been officially endorsed by the government as “the most reliable and deliverable option”. Expected to allow an additional 760 daily flights, the project also involves relocating the part of the 3.5-kilometre runway that currently lies above the M25 motorway.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander emphasised that the project could rapidly progress toward full planning approval by 2029 if it meets the government’s environmental, economic, noise and air quality criteria. Alexander said Heathrow Airport Ltd was chosen due to the “maturity and deliverability” of its proposal, noting that rival Arora Group’s plan would require significantly more residential property acquisitions.
The competing £23 billion shorter-runway proposal from Arora Group was rejected, though company Chairman Surinder Arora said they would continue to support the project and that the possibility of an alternative operator remains on the table.
Heathrow’s new runway and infrastructure works are expected to reach a total cost of £33 billion. Of this, £21 billion will go toward the runway, and £12 billion will be allocated to new terminals and associated infrastructure. A further £15 billion has been announced for wider airport improvements.
Once completed, Heathrow’s annual flight capacity will rise to 756,000, with passenger capacity reaching 150 million.
Warnings Over Climate Targets
The ministry stressed that the expansion must comply with the UK’s statutory climate obligations and announced that it will work closely with the Climate Change Committee.
However, environmental groups strongly criticised the project. Tony Bosworth, a climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said the plan amounts to “adding an airport the size of Gatwick to Heathrow,” arguing that the expansion is incompatible with net-zero goals.
“Instead of gambling with our future, it’s time for evidence-based decision-making,” Bosworth said, pointing to the plan’s overly optimistic expectations for sustainable aviation fuels.
