Heathrow third runway delayed to 2039

Plans for London Heathrow Airport’s long-awaited third runway have been pushed back by four years, with the project now not expected to open until 2039.

The runway is part of a wider £49 billion expansion plan approved by the UK government after years of legal wrangling. The project aims to address decades of capacity constraints at Europe’s busiest airport. The runway itself is expected to cost £21 billion, while the remainder of the privately funded investment will go towards expanding and modernising the rest of the airport.

The expansion, submitted to the government as an updated ‘shovel-ready’ proposal, would increase Heathrow’s flight capacity from 480,000 to 756,000 movements a year and nearly double annual passenger numbers from 84 million to as many as 150 million. Heathrow says the project would open up at least 30 new destinations, provide more domestic connections and improve flight times.

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye has previously defended the urgency of the project, saying, ‘It has never been more important or urgent to expand Heathrow. We are effectively operating at capacity to the detriment of trade and connectivity.’

The plan involves constructing a 3,500-metre runway northwest of the airport’s existing site, requiring the M25 motorway to be rerouted through a tunnel beneath the new infrastructure. The proposal also includes new terminals, an extension of Terminal 2, and the demolition of Terminal 3 and the now-defunct Terminal 1.

Heathrow’s third runway has faced repeated delays since it was first recommended by the UK’s Airports Commission more than a decade ago. The project has been held up by legal challenges, environmental objections, regulatory reviews and the coronavirus pandemic.

The project still requires further government and regulatory approval before construction can begin.