London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Britain, has announced plans for adding a third runway and substantial expansion of existing terminals.
Heathrow’s chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, said: “A third runway is critical for the country’s future economic success, and I confirm we will submit our plans for a third runway to government this summer.
“Ahead of then, as part of a phased expansion programme and supported by the government’s clear backing, I am today confirming multi-billion-pound investment plans, 100 per cent privately funded, to upgrade our terminal buildings, enhance passenger experience, and improve resilience and sustainability.
“This is vital investment and will ensure Heathrow remains globally competitive and a jewel in the country’s crown.”
Expansion plans face widespread opposition from local residents concerned about extra noise and traffic, as well as environmentalists who say plans to increase sharply the number of flights are completely incompatible with commitments on carbon emissions.
If expansion survives the legal process, what will it mean for passengers? These are the key questions and answers.
How bad is the current Heathrow squeeze?
Heathrow is the busiest two-runway airport in the world; Gatwick, south of London, is the world’s busiest single-runway airport.
Heathrow airport handled 83.9 million passengers in 2024 and is operating very close to its annual limit of 480,000 take-offs and landings. At peak times there is a landing and a take-off every 80 seconds.
“Because Heathrow is so busy, aircraft coming in to land at Heathrow are frequently held in holding stacks,” the airport says. “Aircraft usually come into a holding stack where they fly in an oval pattern to wait for a landing slot.”
Journey times, noise, fuel consumption and emissions are all increased due to holding.
When adverse weather intervenes, dozens of flights are cancelled as the air-traffic control “flow rate” is reduced.
What is planned?
The capacity increase offered by a third runway could immediately alleviate much of the stacking. But the aim is to fill the new strip, with traffic increased by up to 54 per cent to 740,000 movements.
While Heathrow said in 2019 that the third runway could be in use by 2026, the date has now been pushed back to the late 2030s.
What else is…
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