83.5million annual journeys could be added to the capital’s current capacity by the 2040s.
Every airport in London could see services grow through ground improvements and expansions, with new runways proposed for Heathrow and Gatwick, and a new terminal at Luton, subject to final approval.
Plans have already been approved for expansions to Stansted and London City, and if the other three are green lit it would effectively be the equivalent of building a new Heathrow, currently one of the busiest airports in the world.
‘It is very worrying. The aviation industry is lobbying the Government so hard, when the narrative about airport expansion’s impact on growth is really, really flawed,’ said Alethea Warrington, Head of Aviation, Heat and Energy at climate charity Possible. ‘I don’t see how this Government can possibly hope to be genuinely seen as a climate leader if it allows airport expansion.’
Despite widespread concern from environmentalists, representatives of the airline industry point to the fact that London’s aviation network is likely to hit ceiling capacity by the end of this decade. Last week, Heathrow was forced to make rare scheduling intervention and cancel 30 flights because it was unable to cope with demand at that time. The airport’s controversial third runway plans, first announced in 2006 and finally clear of legal challenges since 2020, has been on hold since the pandemic devastated demand for air travel.
‘What we have been hearing from the Labour Government and the Chancellor, even before the election, is that they are happy for airports to expand — the mood music is no longer knee-jerk against it,’ said Peter Campbell, head of public affairs for industry body AirportsUK.
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