Overview
- The government selected Heathrow Airport Limited’s scheme as the basis for updating the Airports National Policy Statement, stopping short of a final planning approval.
- The plan requires diverting the M25 about 130 metres west into a tunnel under a new 3.5km runway, with officials noting Arora’s rejected shorter-runway option would still heavily affect the motorway.
- Funding is expected to be entirely private, and the Civil Aviation Authority is preparing regulatory changes to control early cost recovery and limit passenger charge impacts.
- Public consultation on the revised ANPS is due next summer, with ministers aiming for a development consent decision by 2029 and an operational runway around 2035.
- The review will be tested against climate, air quality and noise obligations with input from the Climate Change Committee, as airlines warn the chosen approach could raise costs for carriers and passengers.