New Civil Engineer
Mark Coates
25 September 2025
Heathrow Airport’s proposed £50bn expansion, including a third runway, promises to be transformative for the UK economy.
This project could create 100,000 new jobs, improve global connectivity, and reduce flight delays. The airport is already operating near capacity, handling 83.9M passengers in 2024 and is the only major hub of its size with just two runways. Expansion is therefore not a luxury – it is a strategic necessity for UK trade, travel, and competitiveness.
The urgency of the project has been underscored by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has instructed officials to prepare another overhaul of Britain’s planning system, explicitly citing “critical” projects such as Heathrow’s third runway. While the economic and strategic case for expansion is strong, the programme’s success will ultimately depend on government action. Without decisive planning reform and regulatory support, the potential benefits of expansion will remain out of reach.
