The UK government, under Chancellor John Healey, has reaffirmed its support for the expansion of Heathrow Airport, including the construction of a third runway. The announcement, made in the House of Commons, confirms Labour's backing for the project, which has faced years of debate and opposition.
This decision may draw attention given past statements from prominent figures, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham. When he served as the Mayor of Manchester, Burnham had been a vocal critic of the Heathrow expansion. In January of the previous year, he described the project as a "model for an ever-overheating UK economy." In 2018, he stated, "I'm against a 3rd runway at Heathrow because of need to limit national levels of aviation" and suggested utilizing existing capacity at Manchester and Birmingham airports instead. The following year, he expressed concern that the expansion would "trap infrastructure spending inside the M25 for 10 years" at the expense of northern England's development. Last year, he urged the government to pause the project and consult with northern MPs and mayors to ensure any expansion did not hinder essential investment in northern infrastructure.
Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) has proposed building a 3,500-meter runway, a plan that includes relocating the M25 motorway. The expansion aims to increase Heathrow's capacity to handle 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers annually. The airport operator argues that the expansion is crucial for national growth and competitiveness, especially after Istanbul surpassed Heathrow as Europe's busiest airport in July. HAL stated that the airport is operating at capacity and that the expansion plans are necessary to meet infrastructure needs and deliver economic growth.
The estimated cost for the project is £33 billion, which includes £1.5 billion for the M25 relocation. The scheme is intended to be fully privately financed. The expansion plans have historically faced opposition from climate experts and the Mayor of London, Lord Khan of Tooting.