Heathrow Airport has updated its expansion plans to build a third runway and increase the number of flights to more than 750,000 a year – but major travel routes are at risk of being rerouted.
Designs to grow the west London hub have been in existence since the late 1940s but it wasn’t until 2003 that it began to receive governmental backing – but this was then pulled in 2010 and didn’t return until 2018 as part of a revised national strategy.
The London airport currently handles about 470,000 flights per year but hopes to grow this to around 750,000 flights to accommodate up to 1.5 million passengers.
Supporters believe that the airport, which is operating at capacity, needs a new runway to meet the growth in aviation or risk missing out on opportunities available to businesses, passengers and communities. However, opponents say that the economic benefits, particularly for the communities nearest the airport, are overstated, and the expansion will have environmental consequences.
Now, following years of technical and environmental work, the airport has revised its expansion plan with one change including the building of a new section of the M25, which will tunnel under the new runway, and a rerouted A4. Rivers would also be rerouted to make space for the new runway and taxiways.
The airport is also hoping to build a new terminal west of T5 and create an ‘upgraded western terminal area between Terminal 5A and T5XW. Future rail connectivity from the West and South would be firmly established in the designs with space kept for a station should plans ever get approved.
Heathrow is running a series of consultations - from Tuesday 27 October 27 to Tuesday 22 December – to give residents, businesses, passengers, and other stakeholders an opportunity to comment on the revisions.