Overview

• Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander signed off a scheme to shift Gatwick’s northern runway 12 metres to enable dual‑runway operations.
• Gatwick projects roughly 100,000 additional flights per year, future capacity toward 80 million passengers, about 14,000 jobs and £1bn in annual regional benefits.
• The airport says the development will be 100% privately financed with no direct government funding, alongside terminal expansions and operational changes.
• Approval includes requirements on noise mitigation and passenger modal share, with Gatwick setting its own public‑transport targets, plus measures for affected residents such as triple glazing and help with moving costs.
• A government source suggests the runway could be in use as soon as 2029 or before the next general election, while campaign group CAGNE signals plans for a judicial review.