Second runway at Gatwick greenlit

Admin

September 22, 2025
3 min read

A second runway at Gatwick airport has been greenlit by the government. The northern runway is already parallel to the airport’s main one but cannot be used simultaneously due to its proximity to the main one. It is currently limited to serving as just a taxiway, being only used for take-offs and landings if the main one has to be closed.

The £2.2 billion expansion project will move it 12 metres north, allowing it to run simultaneously. Public money is not being spent on the expansion plan. Airport bosses say that the new runway could be operational by 2029.

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A second runway means an additional 100,000 flights every year, 14,000 jobs, and a £1 billion annual boost to the economy. It would also allow Gatwick to accommodate 75 million passengers every year by the end of the next decade. Gatwick is already the UK’s second busiest airport and Europe’s busiest single runway airport.

The expansion was originally rejected by the Planning Inspectorate. This is due to concerns about its provisions for noise prevention and public transport links. Air traffic, campaigners warned, will harm both the environment and the local community.

A revised plan was published earlier this year by the planning authority, saying that it could be approved by the government if it meets every condition. The government has said that it is satisfied, and additional plans, including allowing the airport to set its own targets for passengers travelling there by public transport, have been made.

Residents close by who will be affected by the noise will be able to bill Gatwick for the cost of triple-glazed windows, while those who live under a flight path and wish to sell their homes can have stamp duty and estate agent fees paid for up to 1% of the purchase price.

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