Simple Flying
Jake Hardiman
17 Feb 2026
For many years, the proposed expansion of London Heathrow Airport (LHR) has remained a contentious issue in the UK...progress has been slow, with the concept in the works for many years but facing considerable opposition. This has prompted Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, to urge the UK to "get on with it" regarding the expansion.
Griffiths made his comments in a recent interview with The Independent, a British newspaper. As part of his discussion with the publication, the Dubai Airports CEO, who looks after both Dubai International Airport (DXB) and the neighboring Al Maktoum (DWC), argued that "Heathrow expansion was first discussed in 1946. Surely by now a decision is slightly overdue?" The facility's restricted nature has seen it lose its top spot in some regards.
Griffiths argued that unlocking more aviation capacity with a third runway will not just benefit Heathrow, but also the UK economy as a whole, saying:
"The barriers to economic growth by constraining the growth of aviation are serious and probably not widely understood. The economic benefits will kickstart the UK economy in a way that no other industry could do."
