Updated September 22, 2025- The UK government has issued a green light to London Gatwick Airport Second Runway plans. This airport will join Heathrow Airport among the airports that UK plans to upgrade.
The Sussex airport had been given provisional clearance for the £2.2 billion expansion project in February. This project is subject to further consultation on issues. These issues include aircraft noise and increasing the percentage of passengers using public transport to get to Gatwick.
Gatwick Airport Second Runway Factsheet
Name: Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Project
Purpose: To bring Gatwick’s existing Northern Runway into routine use for commercial flights, alongside the main runway.
Cost: £2.2 billion, privately financed by the airport’s shareholders. No taxpayer money is being used.
Expected operational date: Flights could begin taking off from the new runway before 2029. Full construction will be completed by the turn of the decade.
Planning and approval:
- Planning application: A Development Consent Order (DCO) was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2023.
- Examination: A six-month examination of the proposal by a panel of independent experts concluded in August 2024.
- Government decision: The UK Government, led by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, has given the project the “green light,” citing it as a “no-brainer for growth.” The decision was made after the government was satisfied with adjustments made to address concerns raised during the planning process.
UK Transport Secretary Grants Development Consent
UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander has granted “development consent” to the scheme. This scheme will see Gatwick convert its Northern Runway, currently only used for taxiing aircraft, into a fully operational runway.
Challenges Facing the Project
However, the plan is likely to face legal hurdles. These hurdles are expected from the local community and environment group CAGNE. These had vowed to launch a judicial review against Gatwick’s expansion.
Also, the project comprises of the amendment of Gatwick Airport to support dual runway operations through the routine use of the existing northern runway and to accommodate up to 80 million passengers per annum. The development will include amendments to taxiways, terminal extensions and ancillary facilities, highways and rivers; as well as temporary construction works, mitigation works and other associated development.
September 1, 2021
Gatwick Airport second runway is pressing head despite the great air travel fall during the pandemic. The proposed scheme costs around £500m which will lead to the airport’s emergency northern runway placed sideways by 12m and redeveloped for routine short-haul use. The development would lead to the dual runway operations with the main runway in the airport and ensuring all international safety standards are met.
Other Features in the Development
The other elements in proposals are upgraded airport access, highway upgrades, and an extra environmental mitigation. Additionally, the airport operator, implementing the project to public consultation in early September, uttered that the scheme proposals were low impact and in line with Government policy of delivering the best use of existing runways. The Gatwick Airport second runway will be developed in a sustainable way which will lead to achieving the Government’s overall target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Read Also:Scotland to construct the Tomatin to Moy A9 dualling project
Jobs and economy boost.
The proposed Gatwick Airport Second Runway plan is highlighted as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. The airport aims to apply for a development consent order after consultation is complete. Stewart Wingate, chief executive officer of Vinci-controlled Gatwick Airport, uttered: “While we are now getting low passenger and air traffic volumes triggered by the global pandemic, we are sure that Gatwick will not only fully recover to normal passenger levels. However, it has the potential to continue to grow higher and become one of Europe’s best airports.
“Our devotion to construct the existing Northern Runway into routine use will help to offer growth. Also, it will bring thousands of additional jobs. Therefore, this will be an important boost to the economy for our local region. “Apart from the economic advantages our Gatwick Airport second runway project will have, we remain dedicated to our sustainability goals, and our Northern Runway plans are set to be a low impact way of opening new capacity from our existing infrastructure of which much is already in place.”
