UK set to make decision on Gatwick Airport expansion, BA

Britain will decide on Thursday whether to allow Gatwick Airport to expand, a move that could add millions of extra passengers at the country’s no.2 hub and help boost economic growth. With the government keen to greenlight infrastructure projects to revive a sluggish economy, airport expansion has risen up the agenda and it has already given backing for a new runway at Gatwick’s bigger rival Heathrow.

Seeking to overcome environmental objections, the government says sustainable aviation fuel means airport expansions do not derail Britain’s net zero targets. Gatwick plans to spend 2.2 billion pounds ( USD2.78 billion) of private funding to bring its second runway into full use. It was originally built as a backup.

“Bringing London Gatwick’s northern runway into routine use is one of the biggest growth opportunities for the UK,” the airport has said, adding that expansion will inject 1 billion pounds annually into the regional economy. Located 30 miles south of London, it is owned by VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners and has said the second runway could be operational by the end of the decade, boosting trade and tourism and creating 14,000 jobs.

The plan is to move the runway by 12 metres so that the two meet safety standards for simultaneous use, allowing passenger numbers to rise to 75 million per year by the late 2030s from 43 million currently.

Environmental charity Greenpeace opposes the plan, while a local opposition group, Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions, has said it will make a legal challenge should Transport Minister Heidi Alexander back Gatwick’s expansion.

Speaking at an industry conference on Tuesday, Alexander said that as long as climate, air and noise obligations were met, the government would support new runways. “This government believes in increasing airport capacity,” she said.

Luton, a smaller airport north of London, has also asked the government for permission to expand and a decision is due by April 3.