Key facts
- Heathrow Airport's planned third runway may be delayed until 2039.
- The delay is attributed to planning and regulatory issues.
- The airport aims to secure planning permission by 2029.
- The project is estimated to cost £49bn.
- Expansion could increase flights from 480,000 to 720,000 annually.
- Around 108,000 new jobs are expected from the expansion.
Heathrow Airport has warned that its planned third runway project may be delayed by four years due to planning and regulatory issues. The UK's busiest airport, which serves 80 million travellers annually with its two existing runways, had initially hoped the new runway would open by 2035. However, Heathrow now views this deadline as increasingly difficult to meet without further simplification of the planning process. The airport stated on Saturday that it aims to secure planning permission by 2029, with an opening "within a decade" of that milestone. The Department for Transport (DfT) acknowledged that the project's timeline had "always been ambitious" and committed to working with stakeholders "at pace" to address the matter. Heathrow Airport indicated that its "core scenario" has consistently been to open a new runway within ten years of obtaining planning permission. The airport expressed encouragement regarding efforts to streamline infrastructure and remove regulatory bottlenecks, pledging continued collaboration with ministers, airlines, and other stakeholders. Former chancellor Rachel Reeves announced government support for the project in January 2025. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who had previously been critical, stated he was "open-minded" about the scheme upon assuming office. Despite opposition from environmental campaigners and local residents, the expansion is projected to create approximately 100,000 jobs and significantly boost the economy. The project would necessitate the demolition of hundreds of homes, diversion of rivers, and rerouting of the M25 motorway. The number of annual flights, currently capped at 480,000, could increase to 720,000. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has consistently opposed the expansion, citing concerns over noise, air pollution, and climate change. A consultation on the expansion was published in June this year, with a parliamentary vote potentially delayed until 2027. A DfT spokesperson noted that there is no live planning application currently and that they cannot comment on ongoing consultations. Heathrow Airport stated that the benefits of expansion, including job creation and supply chain investment, are already being felt and that the project is a "national project 100%, privately financed" supporting UK growth and its global economic position.