Gatwick second runway decision delayed, as minister says she's 'minded to approve' if noise can be kept down
27 February 2025, 11:36 | Updated: 27 February 2025, 11:39
A decision on expanding Gatwick has been pushed back several months, although the Transport Secretary said she was "minded to approve" a second runway.
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The deadline for a decision on whether to allow London's second airport to boost its capacity had been set for Thursday, but it has now been pushed back eight months.
Heidi Alexander, who as Transport Secretary has the final decision, said she wanted to give the expansion the green light - as long as conditions on noise levels and public transport access to the West Sussex airport are met.
Gatwick wants to bring its emergency runway into routine use, which would allow for an extra 100,000 flights per year by the end of the decade.
A planning inspector had recommended rejecting the application, but Ms Alexander had earlier hinted she wanted to give her approval. She said she had to balance the needs of the economy with those of the environment.
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Ms Alexander gave a written statement to Parliament, saying: "I am issuing a minded to approve decision that provides some additional time to seek views from all parties on the provisions, prior to a final decision.”
The government now has until October 27 to make a decision.
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick's chief executive, said: "We welcome today's announcement that the Secretary of State for Transport is minded to approve our Northern Runway plans and has outlined a clear pathway to full approval later in the year.
"It is vital that any planning conditions attached to the final approval enable us to make a decision to invest £2.2bn in this project and realise the full benefits of bringing the Northern Runway into routine use.
"We will of course engage fully in the extended process for a final decision."
Ms Alexander told a gathering of aviation leaders earlier this week that there were "capacity problems, particularly at airports in the South East".
In a speech at the annual dinner of trade body Airlines UK in central London on Tuesday night, Ms Alexander said: "Some might say the current national debate about airport expansion highlights a fundamental tension between growing the economy, whilst protecting the environment.
"I say we must do both."
She added: "I am not some sort of flight-shaming eco-warrior. I love flying. I always have."
In addition to making a decision on Gatwick, Ms Alexander is also required to determine whether Luton airport's expansion plan can go ahead.
Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport is developing detailed plans for its third runway project.
Ms Alexander said her job as the "decision maker" on airport expansion is to "strike a balance" between the potential benefits of jobs, trade and tourism, with "tough questions", such as whether the schemes will be compatible with the UK's climate and air quality obligations, whether noise can be minimised and whether costs will be "shared fairly".
She added: "This Government believes in increasing airport capacity. We're ambitious for the sector.
"But these strict criteria must be met if we are to balance the needs of today with the necessities of tomorrow."
Gatwick's £2.2 billion privately financed project would see it move the emergency runway 12 metres north.
The plan also involves remodelling and replacing existing taxiways - which connect runways to terminals, hangars and other facilities - extending both terminals, and installing new aircraft gates.
Road connections to both terminals would be enhanced, paid for by Gatwick, with flyovers to separate local traffic from vehicles travelling to or from the airport.
A £250 million modification of the airport's railway station was completed in November 2023.
Additional car parking, offices and hotels would also be provided.
The airport says its scheme is "shovel ready".
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It hopes the upgraded runway will be operational by the end of the decade.
Local campaigners opposed to Gatwick's expansion have expressed concerns over the impact on surface transport, noise, housing provision and wastewater treatment.
The emergency runway is currently used as a taxiway or when the main runway is closed because of maintenance or incidents.
Under the plan, the emergency runway would be used for departures of narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
Operating as a two-runway airport would enable Gatwick to add around 10-15 flights per hour at peak periods.
This would see its total annual number of flights rise from 280,000 to 380,000.
It expects passenger annual numbers to rise from 45 million to 75 million.
Gatwick says its plans would create £1 billion per year in economic benefits, and generate an additional 14,000 jobs.
