Gatwick second runway plan approved by transport secretary

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander approved plans for a second Gatwick runway, a privately financed project worth about £2.2 billion. The plan would move the existing Northern Runway 12 metres to bring it into regular use and includes a range of terminal expansions and related improvements.

Gatwick currently handles about 280,000 flights a year. The expansion is forecast to lift movements to around 389,000 by the late 2030s, and passenger numbers could reach up to 80 million annually. The package would add about 40,000 flights before the second runway opens and a further 70,000 once it is fully operational. In effect, the second runway would be used for short-haul services, freeing capacity on the main runway for more long-haul flights.

London Gatwick, in West Sussex, is Europe’s busiest single-runway airport with more than 40 million passengers using it every year. The approval comes as the government persistently emphasizes growth opportunities through infrastructure, while facing concerns from communities and climate campaigners about the environmental impact.

The decision to approve the expansion had long been anticipated. Planning inspectors had expressed concerns about the effect on traffic and noise in the surrounding area. In April, Gatwick Airport agreed to stricter noise controls, an enhanced insulation scheme for nearby residents, and a target that 54% of air passengers use public transport before the Northern Runway opens. To meet this target, the airport said third parties – including the Department for Transport – would need to support delivery of the necessary conditions and improvements required to meet the target, giving the example of reinstating the full Gatwick Express rail service. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gatwick Express ran four trains per hour non-stop between the airport and London Victoria; this service was reduced to two trains per hour from 2022. Gatwick also proposed a cars-on-the-road limit if the 54% target could not be met before the first use of the Northern Runway to address possible road congestion concerns. If neither the target nor the road-limit could be met, the runway plans would be delayed until the required £350 million of road improvements had been completed.

This government has taken unprecedented steps to get this done, navigating a needlessly complex planning system, which our reforms will simplify in future, a government source said. Any airport expansion must be delivered in line with our legally binding climate change commitments and meet strict environmental requirements.

There is strong opposition to expansion from climate campaigners. Greenpeace UK policy director Douglas Parr argued the extension would not drive economic growth and would boost air pollution, noise, and emissions. Alex Chapman, senior economist at the New Economics Foundation, contended that the move would not create net new jobs but shift them from other parts of the country. Unite the Union general secretary Sharon Graham backed Gatwick having a second runway but cautioned that it should come with guarantees of well-paid, unionised jobs and proper facilities for workers. Sally Pavey, chair of Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE), warned of uncontrollable noise, road congestion and air-quality impacts and said the group would seek a judicial review if expansion proceeds.

Gatwick’s expansion is the latest in a string of airport approvals, following Luton's expansion in June. The government has also signaled support for a third runway at Heathrow, but that project remains highly complex, costly and controversial. Supporters say the Gatwick plan could help rebalance regional growth and support thousands of jobs, while opponents warn that climate commitments and local quality of life should not be compromised.

The airport expansion landscape also reflects broader debates about balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility. If the project meets its public-transport targets and road-improvement commitments, officials say it could be an early test of whether growth in aviation can be aligned with climate pledges. Industry observers will be watching closely how the implementation progresses, including rail-service restorations, noise mitigation, and community protections, as the plan moves toward final delivery.