The plan to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport has reportedly been delayed until 2039 after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has refused to say whether he would back the third runway. Heathrow Airport’s proposed northwest runway was intended to address the airport’s need for more capacity by expanding its hub.
Heathrow Airport’s proposed expansion
Heathrow Airport’s expansion would entail 3,500 meters being built lengthwise, with construction requiring the M25 motorway to be rerouted. Implementation of the runway would develop existing terminals such as Terminal 2, with further extensions made to Terminal 5, creating a new west complex called T5X.
The expansion, according to Heathrow’s 2025 proposal, would add 10 new long-haul destinations and 30 new daily airline routes by 2040.
Other key points the proposal put forward were:
- Increased Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) from 276,000 a year to 756,000
- Increased capacity up to 150 million passengers per year
- Increased domestic connectivity
- Introduce new and upgraded infrastructure which would increase cargo capacity by 50%
- Increased economic growth by adding 0.43 to UK GDP by 2050 and creating thousands of jobs
Ex-Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the proposal last year whilst ensuring the public that the planning process would go through a comprehensive review before any building happened. Since Andy Burnham’s succession as Prime Minister, the proposal has been delayed, with him stating,
“I think we ought to hear the voice of people there first. It’s not right for me to just jump straight in on the back of the consultation.”
Third runway concerns
Concerns about the runway have been voiced by local residents who live by the airport; issues such as noise and the ways in which the environment would be affected have been raised.
There are concerns also being raised about Heathrow’s capacity, which currently operates at 99% and risks being overtaken by European competitors.
According to a press release produced by Heathrow on Sept. 28, 2026, residents are being welcomed to share their views during an expansion consultation which will run for 8 weeks from 27 October to 22 December.
The Director for Heathrow’s Communities and Residential Property, Becky Coffin, addressing Prime Minister Andy Burnham, commented,
“We agree with the Prime Minister that local voices must be heard. We know from consistent polling over the last decade that communities support our expansion plans, and support is only growing over time. But more than that, we want local people, businesses and education institutions to have genuine opportunities to shape and finalise our plans. This consultation is a chance to do just that.”
The airport’s consultations will run online as well as in person and offer advice from experts on how the airport would manage and reduce the impact of the expansion.
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