Key facts
- Downing Street has privately reassured the aviation sector of its support for Heathrow's third runway expansion.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham declined to publicly back the project.
- Advisers stated Burnham had not been fully briefed on the runway's economic merits.
- Heathrow Airport Limited now expects the runway to be delivered by 2039.
- A vote on the final National Policy Statement is expected early next year.
Downing Street has been privately reassuring members of the aviation sector of its support for Heathrow's third runway expansion, despite recent public comments from Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Advisers indicated that Burnham had not been fully briefed on the project's economic merits and that his remarks did not signal a cooling of government support.
Burnham, in his former role as mayor of Manchester, had previously called for the plans to be abandoned. His recent comments to the BBC that Heathrow expansion was "a matter for London and Londoners" were interpreted by some as a deferral, rather than a rejection, of the project.
Industry figures were told by Number 10 and internal advisers that the Prime Minister had not yet had the time to focus on aviation and the runway, suggesting his attention has been preoccupied with other matters. The Department for Transport stated that Heathrow expansion has the potential to deliver approximately £40bn in economic benefits across the UK.
Officials are reviewing consultation responses on the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement, with a vote on the final version now expected early next year. Heathrow Airport Limited has conceded its initial 2035 target is unlikely and now expects to deliver the expansion by 2039, assuming the planning process remains on track. If the policy statement passes, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will consider the applications and decide which, if any, the government should approve.