Overview

• Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander granted development consent for Gatwick to shift its northern strip 12 metres to enable routine parallel operations.
• The airport projects capacity for roughly 100,000 additional flights per year once the converted runway is in use.
• Gatwick says the scheme is fully privately financed at about £2.2 billion and forecasts £1 billion a year in economic benefits with around 14,000 extra jobs.
• A government source suggested the new full runway could be operational before 2029, potentially even before the next general election.
• Approval followed Planning Inspectorate scrutiny, with the minister satisfied by adjustments on noise mitigation and passenger modal share, and the project must meet legally binding climate and environmental requirements.