Overview
- Chancellor John Healey publicly signalled support for a third runway at Heathrow while speaking at the IMF in Bangkok on Saturday, saying airport expansion has driven jobs and growth in past decades.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declined to endorse the project and said the matter should be for London and Londoners, leaving the government visibly split on final approval.
- The Department for Transport is reviewing responses to the closed public consultation on the National Policy Statement and has said it is considering the appropriate next steps, with no live planning application yet.
- Heathrow has warned investors it needs clearer government backing, has pushed back its target opening from 2035 toward about 2039, and says the privately financed scheme would cost roughly £33 billion and require major local works.
- The expansion faces sustained opposition from environmental campaigners, local residents and city leaders who cite climate, air-quality and community impacts and legal risks raised by advisory bodies such as the Climate Change Committee.