Sonali Tiwary
The UK government has given the green light to Gatwick Airport’s £2.2 billion plan to bring its Northern Runway into regular use. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander approved the project, which will see the emergency runway shifted 12 meters north, allowing it to handle regular flights.
This privately-funded expansion will let Gatwick increase its yearly flights from about 280,000 to around 389,000 by the late 2030s. The airport expects passenger numbers could rise to as many as 80 million annually.
“A second runway at Gatwick means thousands more jobs and billions more in investment for the economy,” said Chancellor Rachel Reeves. “We are backing the builders, not the blockers.”
Currently Europe’s busiest single-runway airport with over 40 million passengers yearly, Gatwick plans to use the Northern Runway for short-haul departures. This will free up the main runway for more long-haul services.
The expansion project includes 40,000 more flights before the second runway opens, and an additional 70,000 flights – almost 190 daily – once fully operational. The airport projects 14,000 new jobs and up to £1 billion in yearly economic benefits for the region.
After concerns raised during the planning process, Gatwick agreed to stricter noise controls and enhanced insulation for nearby residents. The airport will cover costs for triple-glazed windows in affected homes. For the worst-affected homeowners who choose to move, Gatwick will pay stamp duty and some moving costs.
The approval comes with a requirement that 54% of passengers must use public transport before the Northern Runway can open. Meeting this target will require support from third parties, including reinstating the full Gatwick Express rail service, which was reduced from four to two trains per hour since 2022.
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“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. They added that planes could potentially take off from the new runway by 2029.
Opposition to the expansion remains strong, particularly from environmental groups and local residents. Green Party leader Zack Polanski called the approval a “disaster for the climate crisis.”
Sally Pavey, chair of Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE), expressed concerns about “uncontrollable noise, ramifications on the roads, decline in air quality… and climate change.” The group has indicated they may pursue legal action through judicial review.
Some critics also question the economic benefits. Alex Chapman, senior economist at the New Economics Foundation, argued the move would not create new jobs but merely shift them from other parts of the country.
Unite the Union general secretary Sharon Graham supported the second runway but emphasized it needs to “come with guarantees of well paid, unionised jobs and proper facilities for workers.”
The Conservative opposition welcomed the decision as “a vital step towards driving economic growth,” though Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden criticized the Labour government for not making the decision sooner.
This approval is part of a series of airport expansion approvals, including Luton’s in April. The government has also expressed support for Heathrow’s third runway, though that project would be considerably more complex and controversial.
The Gatwick expansion will proceed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project with ongoing monitoring to ensure compliance with noise abatement, insulation programs, and public transport targets before the runway becomes fully operational.
