Heathrow third runway: a saga of promises, protest and U-turns
Heathrow third runway: a saga of promises, protest and U-turns
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With Reeves looking set to approve the contested expansion, here is a timeline of 21 years of changing policy. The saga of Heathrow’s third runway has been continuing for decades, with ministerial resignations, U-turns from politicians against the backdrop of climate disaster, including 0.2C of global heating since the expansion was first proposed. Now the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is hoping to kickstart the expansion again in a push for economic growth.
But critics including the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, say it will do little for growth, cause disruption, and fly in the face of the UK’s climate commitments. After years of rumours during the approval process for Heathrow Terminal 5, and despite repeated denials, BAA plc admitted publicly for the first time that it aimed to get approval for a third runway at Heathrow, in its response to the government’s airport consultation.
The push for a third runway is widely condemned by local groups, London politicians and even by the sector – because of the airport’s previous denials that it was seeking expansion. The then transport secretary, Alistair Darling, launches the government’s aviation white paper, which says Heathrow would have been the preferred location for the next runway in south-east England but that it is concerned about air pollution. It says it expects a third runway to be built within 12 years.
