Heathrow Airport Expansion

Published on: 28 Oct, 2026
Updated on: 28 Oct, 2026

Heathrow Airport shown with a third runway over the M25

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

Heathrow Airport has updated its controversial expansion plans to build a third runway and increase the number of flights to more than 750,000 a year – and is asking the public for feedback.

Designs to grow the west London hub have been in existence since the 1940s but it wasn’t until 2003 that it began to receive governmental backing.

This was then pulled in 2010 and plans began to emerge for new airports across London before again coming back into favour in 2018 as part of a revised national strategy.

Court battles ensued but in 2019 the plans most people recognise today, including the new runway to the northwest of the airport began to crystallise.

Heathrow currently handles about 470,000 flights per year. It wants to grow this to about 750,000 flights to accommodate up to 1.5 million passengers.

Supporters have said the airport, which is operating at capacity, needs a new runway to meet the growth in aviation or risk missing out on opportunities available to businesses, passengers and communities.

Opponents say the economic benefits, particularly for the communities nearest the airport are vastly overstated and the environmental harm too damaging.

Now, following years of technical and environmental work, the airport has changed what it wants to build and is once again running a series of consultations from October 27 to 22 December 22 giving residents, businesses, passengers, and other stakeholders the opportunity to have their say.

Among the more high profile plans include building a new section of the M25 which will tunnel under the new runway and a rerouted A4.

Rivers would also be re-routed to make space for the new runway and taxiways.

The airport is also hoping to build a new terminal west of Terminal 5 and create an upgraded western terminal area.

Future rail connectivity from the west and south would be entrenched in the designs with space kept for a station should plans ever get approved.