The government must green light Heathrow’s plan for expansion
A third runway at Heathrow will be a shot in the arm for growth, and it’s clear that the airport’s own, shovel-ready plan is the only viable one around, says John Dickie
With party conference season wrapping up, all eyes are now turning towards the Autumn Budget and how the government can turn its growth ambitions into reality.
Ministers have made clear that airport expansion is central to their plans to secure economic lift off. The government approved plans to expand Stansted and London City Airport shortly after the election last year. Just last month, Gatwick received permission to bring its second runway into routine use. And seven years after parliament voted overwhelmingly in support of a third runway at Heathrow, the airport’s plans to invest tens of billions of pounds into the UK are now finally edging close to delivery.
Some critics have argued that expanding all these airports is misguided – claiming the extra capacity already approved undermines Heathrow’s case.
The reality, in an ever more globalised world, is that delivering these projects would simply be London making up for lost time. The UK hasn’t built a full-length runway in or around the capital since the 1940s. By contrast, Paris has increased the number of runways at Charles de Gaulle to four and Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport now has six. Further afield, Dubai is taking forward multibillion-pound plans to make Al Maktoum International the world’s biggest hub for air passengers and cargo.
We are playing catch-up, and delivering a third runway quickly at the UK’s hub airport is long overdue. Heathrow is not just a London airport, it is a gateway to growth for the whole country – with 60 per cent of its supply chain outside the capital and the South East.
But it’s increasingly constrained by its current capacity. Since the pandemic, the airport has repeatedly beaten records for passenger numbers, with 83.9m passing through in 2024, above the 82m that it was designed to handle. This year’s total is set to be higher still, underlining huge demand for flying to and from the airport.
The lack of capacity in London is pushing visitors and business towards other international airports, costing the UK jobs, taxes and growth. As an island trading nation, strengthening our global connections is key to boosting investment, employment and inbound tourism – particularly with the government aiming to welcome 50m international visitors per year to the UK by 2030, up from 38m in 2023.
Taking off
Hitting this target requires ministers to back a regulatory framework that encourages the private investment needed to deliver expansion plans. That must go hand-in-hand with action to grow our international rail connections, where Eurostar is already leading the way with proposals to launch direct routes to Frankfurt and Geneva alongside a £1.7bn investment in a new fleet.
Expanding Heathrow will provide a shot in the arm for the economy both through activity to build the third runway and through the benefits that improved connectivity will bring for businesses across different sectors.
The government has sought proposals for Heathrow’s third runway through an open process. It’s now clear that the only viable plan for expansion is the shovel-ready strategy put forward by the airport itself, which builds on years of detailed planning and engagement that reflects unique knowledge of the site. Giving the green light to this proposal quickly is vital to ensure that passengers, exporters and the economy benefit from an operational third runway within a decade in line with the government’s stated ambition.
In the face of fierce global competition and surging demand, expansion is critical to safeguard the UK’s future as a global hub and ensure the country can seize opportunities for growth.
The choice is clear. Back Heathrow and show the world Britain is open for business. Or carry on dithering, while our rivals leave us standing at the gate.
John Dickie is the chief executive of BusinessLDN