Heathrow says third runway opening could slip to 2039
Heathrow has said its planned third runway may not open until 2039, as its 2029 planning target was always ambitious.
Heathrow Airport has indicated that its long-planned third runway may not become operational until 2039, acknowledging that its earlier target of securing planning permission by 2029 was ambitious and would have required substantial shifts in regulation and policy.
A spokesperson for the airport said its priority remains obtaining planning consent by 2029, adding that once approval is granted, the runway would be delivered within ten years. Opening a new runway within a decade of receiving permission has consistently been Heathrow's core scenario.
The project has political backing. Britain's Labour government supported a third runway at Heathrow last year, citing the potential boost to economic growth. The government cleared an expansion and upgrade programme valued at £49 billion, equivalent to about $64.92 billion. That figure includes roughly £15 billion of previously planned upgrade work, while the remaining £33 billion covers the new runway, the re-routing of London's orbital motorway and the construction of an additional terminal.
Situated west of London, Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport and currently runs at full capacity. It operates two runways, compared with four each at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt Airport, and six at Amsterdam's Schiphol.