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Britain’s second-busiest airport, London Gatwick, has been given a conditional go-ahead to expand.
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, is “minded to approve” the airport’s owners plan to boost capacity. They intend to increase traffic on what is already the world’s busiest runway, and reconfigure the standby runway for routine use by departing aircraft.
In a written parliamentary answer, she said: “Today (27 February 2025) I have issued a ‘minded to approve’ letter for the Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Development Consent Order (DCO) under the Planning Act 2008.
“The deadline for the final decision is now extended to 27 October 2025 (an extension of 9 months). The decision to set a new deadline is without prejudice to the decision on whether to give development consent for the above application.”
Assuming the scheme goes ahead, the second runway will need to be moved slightly further from the main one for both to be used simultaneously.
The development, priced at £2.2bn, will increase potential capacity by two-thirds to 75 million passengers a year – just 10 per cent fewer than the number currently using Heathrow.
Gatwick’s chief executive, Stewart Wingate, says the plan has many benefits. In an article for The Independent, he wrote: “London’s airports are already reaching capacity and demand is forecast to grow by more than 30 million passengers by 2030. We are already full at peak times.
The airport boss describes the project as: “A £2.2 billion privately financed, shovel-ready investment which could be completed by the end of the decade and within this parliament.
“With almost all of the work taking place within our existing boundaries, there should be no major disruption, and no taxpayer money spent.
“It will create 14,000 jobs and generate an additional £1 billion every year in economic benefits – not just for the South East, but across the UK.
“We’ll deliver the project in keeping with our noise and sustainability commitments, keeping impact on local communities to the absolute minimum.”
Planning inspectors originally recommended rejection of the scheme as it stands. The transport secretary will overrule objections but, it is thought, will require some modifications intended to reduce adverse impacts.
The cost would be borne initially by the airport owners, and recouped through charges on the increased number of flights and passengers.
What is the plan?
Gatwick intends to extract more capacity from the main runway to boost passenger numbers by one-third, from around 45 million annually to around 60 million.
In addition, by moving the existing standby runway 12 metres north – further away from the main one – it will be possible to use both at the same time.
Where has Gatwick been hiding the second runway all these years?
Gatwick opened for commercial operations in 1936. It was the world’s first modern airport, with an integrated terminal and railway station. Since then all the expansion has been to the north of the main runway.
During the course of expansion in 1979, a secondary runway was established just north of the main runway by upgrading a taxiway. It is used in emergencies when the main runway is blocked, and during scheduled maintenance. The main runway is known as 08R/26L, with the standby 08L/26R.
In 1979, the British Airports Authority and West Sussex County Council agreed that the emergency runway “shall not under any circumstances whatsoever be used for the taking off or landing of fixed-wing aircraft” when the main runway is available for use. The parties contracted that: “This agreement shall subsist for a period of forty years.” The deal expired on 13 August 2019. With Gatwick close to capacity, the airport has been looking at bringing the second runway into permanent use since then.
How tricky is it to use both runways at the same time?
The distance between the centre lines of the two runways is 198 metres. The International Civil Aviation Organization has established rules on “simultaneous operations on parallel or near-parallel instrument runways,” known as SOIR. They establish a minimum distance between the centre lines of parallel runway as 210 metres “when the runways are intended for use by medium or heavy aeroplanes”. “Medium” means Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s, “heavy” is Airbus A350s and A380s, as well as Boeing 777s.
The runways are 12 metres too close. So what happens?
The centre lines will be moved the necessary 12 metres further apart, by adding 12 metres to the north of the standby runway.
Gatwick says: “Safety and security are always our key priorities and any new development would be fully compliant with all international safety requirements.”
How would they be used – one of take-offs, one for landings?
No. That is the pattern at Heathrow, where the runways are far more spaced out. At Gatwick, the main runway would continue to be used for all landings and some take-offs. The additional runway would be used only for departures for narrow-bodied aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family.
Is there strong opposition?
Yes. While the number of people affected by increased flight movements is far lower for Gatwick than for Heathrow, the anti-expansion lobby is vocal. Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emission (CAGNE) is accusing of Gatwick seeking to introduce a second runway by “stealth”, saying: “This is simply betrayal of communities of Sussex, Surrey and Kent … a stab in the heart for residents that thought they could get on with their lives after the runway debate was won by Heathrow airport.”
The Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign says expansion could bring hundreds of extra flights a day, and will exacerbate noise, air pollution and excessive traffic – placing extra pressure on the local road network, the M23 motorway and the London-Brighton rail line.
Gatwick says: “This innovative development, which would meet all international safety requirements, would be delivered without increasing the airport’s noise footprint and provide greater operational resilience.”
What’s the schedule?
Originally the target date for using the “new” second runway was the start of the summer season 2025. But the Covid pandemic – which hit the Sussex airport especially hard – put expansion plans on hold. The expectation now is that it would be ready by 2030.
Were this plan to go ahead, what work would be involved?
Adding an extra 12 metres of asphalt and painting a fresh line is the easy bit. The approach and runway lighting will need to be moved, and navigation databases rewritten. And that’s just to ensure safe operations.
At present the standby runway acts as the principle taxiway for the main runway. Take that away, and increase the number of movements by 20-30 per cent, and the logistics become very complex.
In addition, Gatwick is fairly stretched for departure gates at peak periods – though this could be addressed by reducing the amount of time that aircraft spend at gates, through financial incentives to airlines.
Then there is the issue of surface access. A two-runway Gatwick with passenger numbers of 75 million per year would put extra pressure on the London-Brighton rail line and the M23 motorway.
Remind me about the previous plan for a second runway?
When Gatwick was one of the prime candidates for expansion being considered by the Davies Commission, the idea was to create a “wide-spaced second runway” to the south of the existing pair.
Gatwick lost out to Heathrow, but the Sussex airport “believes it is in the national interest to continue to safeguard this land for the future”. In time, therefore, Gatwick could become a three-runway airport …
Is Heathrow bothered by its nearest rival expanding?
No. Heathrow sees itself as a much more desirable proposition, with almost all of its precious take-off and landing slots spoken for, and the UK’s only hub airport.
A day ahead of the Gatwick decision, Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye told me it could have a third runway in operation by 2035.
Earlier, a Heathrow spokesperson told me: “We have always supported sustainable growth at other UK airports like Gatwick which serve a different purpose to Heathrow.”
Any other airport developments in the area?
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, has a deadline of April 3 to determine whether Luton airport’s expansion plan can go ahead. This does not involve a new runway, but will see passenger numbers almost double by 2040.
