Campaigners have announced their intention to consider an appeal after their two High Court challenges against the government's approval of Gatwick Airport's expansion were dismissed. The ruling came after Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander gave the go-ahead in September for a £2.2 billion plan to relocate the airport's emergency runway 12 meters to the north, enabling a dual-runway operation.
The anti-noise group Cagne and campaigner Peter Barclay argued in a January hearing that the scheme was unlawful, citing a failure by the government to adequately assess the climate impact. Mr. Justice Mould, delivering the judgment, rejected both bids, concluding that the expansion would not "materially impact" the government's ability to meet its net-zero targets.
Gatwick Airport Limited, the airport's owner, described the decision as a "victory for common sense." Lawyers for the airport had previously characterized the legal challenge as "unarguable." The Department for Transport also defended the approval against the campaigners' claims.
This expansion is projected to significantly increase Gatwick's capacity, moving from its current rate of approximately 280,000 flights annually to an estimated 389,000 by the late 2030s. Travel journalist Simon Calder noted that this represents "the first meaningful airport expansion in decades" and is viewed as "nothing but an overwhelming positive" for the local economy and travelers in the southeast of England.
