Gatwick poised for expansion approval as minister says she's 'not some flight-shaming eco-warrior'

26 February 2025, 08:25

Gatwick bosses got a major hint that they could be allowed to expand airport capacity, after the Transport Secretary hit out at "flight-shaming" environmental activists.

Heidi Alexander said the the planning application for Gatwick's expansion is "literally on my desk", and that she had to balance the needs of the economy with those of the environment.

Gatwick, London's second airport, 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.

Ms Alexander told a gathering of aviation leaders there are "capacity problems, particularly at airports in the South East", before revealing

She has a deadline of Thursday to announce whether she has decided to approve a development consent order application by Gatwick.

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" and construction could start this year.

Heathrow’s third runway: The cases for and against

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.

But the airport insists it has conducted "full and thorough assessments" of those issues.

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.