Sadiq Khan says second runway at Gatwick would destroy rationale for Heathrow expansion
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Gatwick Airport getting permission to operate a second runway would destroy Heathrow Airport’s arguments for needing an extra runway of their own, Sir Sadiq Khan suggested on Thursday. The London mayor, who has said he is against any airport expansion due to the UK’s net zero carbon goals, said approval for a second Gatwick runway would represent a “slam dunk” against the rationale for expansion at Heathrow.
A decision on whether to grant permission for the Gatwick project is expected to be taken by the Government on or before February 27. The Sussex airport wants to bring its existing second runway, which is currently used for taxiing planes and in emergencies, into regular use for departure flights. It says it would do this by moving the runway 12 metres to the north, as it is currently too close to the other runway for both to be used at the same time.
Heathrow’s plans for a third runway secured parliamentary approval in 2018 but were delayed by legal challenges over the environmental impact, and have officially been paused since the Covid pandemic. Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye recently said however that he hopes for a “positive indication” from ministers that the new Government would support a third runway at the airport, which would give them the confidence to invest in getting the project off the ground again.
