Gatwick second runway backed by government

A second runway at Gatwick Airport has been backed by government, providing measures to reduce noise are put in place.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “minded to approve” the expansion. Some MPs, local authorities and residents are strongly opposed.

The airport wants to move its northern runway, which is currently only used for taxiing or as a back up, and make it operational by the end of the decade.

The transport secretary’s support does not guarantee the expansion will go ahead as it would still need planning permission.

If permission is granted, work would start almost immediately, the BBC understands. The £2.2bn expansion will be funded through private investment.

“I am issuing a minded to approve decision that provides some additional time to seek views from all parties on the provisions, prior to a final decision,” Alexander said in a written ministerial statement on Tuesday.

Gatwick has until 24 April to respond to demands for it to include measures, such as noise mitigation and having a proportion of passengers travelling to the airport via public transport, in its overall plans before a final decision will be made in October.

Stewart Wingate, Gatwick Airport chief executive, said following the latest announcement that the government has “outlined a clear pathway to full approval later in the year” and that the airport would “engage fully” in the process.

The Transport Secretary’s support for expansion comes as the government is looking at ways to boost economic growth in a bid to boost living standards, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves backing a third runway at Heathrow last month.

Gatwick, in West Sussex, is Europe’s busiest single runway airport, with more than 40 million passengers using it last year.

On Tuesday, Alexander told industry leaders aviation was good for economic growth and said she was “not some sort of flight-shaming eco warrior“.

The growth arguments for expanding Heathrow and Gatwick, the UK’s two largest airports, differ with the former catering for more freight traffic relating to international goods trade.

An extra runway at Gatwick would see capacity increased for holidaymakers and business travellers, particularly for short-haul destinations, as opposed to Heathrow’s longer-haul flights.