Heathrow Airport’s third runway delayed until 2039

New Civil Engineer
Thomas Johnson
29 September 2026

The opening of Heathrow Airport’s third runway has been delayed until 2039 with the developer stating it still plans to secure planning permission by 2029.

Heathrow Airport’s £49bn expansion plan was submitted in August last year and saw detailed proposals to increase its passenger capacity by 50%, to accommodate up to 150M travellers annually and support 756,000 flights.

However, it emerged yesterday (28 September) that Heathrow Airport bosses have concluded the original deadline of having the runway operational by 2035 is not achievable and it is now targeting a 2039 opening.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “It’s right that ambitious targets were set; the sooner expansion begins, the sooner the whole UK will benefit.

“Our focus has always been to secure planning permission by 2029.

“Once achieved, the runway will be open within a decade – and the benefits of expansion can be felt from today...

Heathrow Airport’s third runway delayed until 2039 | New Civil Engineer | 29 September 2026