The Gatwick Airport £2.2 billion expansion will see London Airport move its runway 12 metres north to increase capacity by 100,000 flights each year. The plans to expand Gatwick are to finally go ahead after campaigners lost a bid to take their legal fights against the government to the Court of Appeal.
Campaigners Lose Final Legal Challenge
Peter Barclay and the campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) took legal action against the Department for Transport over the decision to approve the plans, including claims that the government did not properly assess the scheme’s climate impact.
The £2.2 billion expansion, which was approved by the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, in September, will allow Gatwick Airport to move its emergency runway 12 metres north to accommodate around 100,000 more flights a year.
Inside the Court’s Reasoning
Earlier, in June, the High Court dismissed the challenges, where Mr Justice Mould said it was:
“neither illogical nor contradictory…for Mrs Alexander not to refuse the proposed development.”
He also said the decision would not materially affect the government’s ability to meet its carbon reduction targets.
What It Means for Passengers
Gatwick is the UK’s second-busiest airport and one of the busiest single-runway airports in the world. The first set of flights is said to take off from the airport’s new runway in 2030. Mrs Alexander further mentioned:
“This is a major milestone for Gatwick and local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands more jobs.”
“Around 13 million more passengers and 100,000 more flights will give holidaymakers greater choice and also strengthen global links to make the UK one of the world’s most attractive places to invest your money.”
The expansion will allow the site to be used for the departures of narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
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