Heathrow Airport approved to move motorway for third runway

The UK government has stated that it is acting “swiftly and decisively” to approve a third runway at Heathrow's hub airport that will potentially make it one of the world’s busiest.

The announcement on Tuesday means that the transport secretary has picked the incumbent, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) despite warnings of disruption over its scheme to move the M25 motorway to make way for the 3,500 metre landing strip.

While there are questions over plans to tunnel under the busiest motorway junction in Europe, Transport secretary Heidi Alexander stated that the government had acted fast to reap the economic benefits.

“We’re acting swiftly and decisively to get this project off the ground so we can realise its transformational potential for passengers, businesses and our economy sooner,” she said.

She added that her department wanted the third runway to secure planning permission by 2029 with flights commencing in 2035.

The north-western runway will allow the airport to increase capacity to 756,000 flights yearly almost doubling its travellers from 84 million to 150 million passengers a year – by comparison Dubai airport handled 92 million in 2024.

The project will support 100,000 jobs and Ms Alexander argued that it would “attract international investment and boost Britain’s connectivity”.

The privately financed Heathrow proposal will cost £33bn ($43bn) with £21bn for the actual runway, £12bn for a brand new T5X terminal and £1.5bn for the M25 motorway works.

Competition to build the third runway had come from the Arora Group, founded by Indian-born Surinder Aurora, who hoped to build a shorter 2.8km runway without the M25 tunnel works, costing £25bn.

The transport department stated it found that the longer strip offered “the most deliverable option” and fulfilled “the government’s ambition”.

“Expanding Heathrow will mean more connectivity, increased trade, improved passenger experience and a huge economic boost for British businesses,” a spokesman for Heathrow Airport stated.

But Heathrow added that it will need “further clarity as to how t