Work is now set to start on bringing the standby northern runway at Gatwick into full operational use, increasing capacity from 280,000 flights a year to around 389,000 by the late 2030s.
The 拢2.2bn project is privately financed and shovel-ready, the airport says.
Central to the expansion is repositioning the centre line of the northern runway 12 metres north to allow dual runway operations, aligning with international safety standards.
The plans also include extensions to both terminals and a new pier to park aircraft. It is also extending an existing pier and building flyovers to separate local and airport road traffic, to reduce congestion. The five-year programme includes new passenger facilities, car parking, offices and hotels.
Gatwick submitted its development consent order application to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2023, which in turn submitted its report to the secretary of state for transport on 27th November 2024. In February transport secretary Heidi Alexander has said she was 鈥渕inded to approve鈥� the plans subject to noise mitigation measures being developed. These issues have now been settled to her satisfaction and development consent has been granted.
It may be some time before construction actually starts, however, given the odds of legal challenges. Lee May, a partner at law firm DMH Stallard and a specialist in UK planning law, said: "Those opposed to the airport's expansion now have a six week window of opportunity to challenge the development consent order in the High Court. The project has faced significant opposition from environmental campaigners and some local residents, with concerns being expressed around how the proposal fits in with the government's commitment to minimising carbon emissions and the impact on local residents through noise, air pollution and additional traffic generation. So, it is possible that legal challenges will be brought.
"Given the national significance of the project, any legal challenge will be given high priority by the court, the airport operators and the government will hope for a speedy resolution. But with the possibility of further appeals to the Court of Appeal and eventually to the Supreme Court it may be many months before a final decision is reached and work can get under way."
Not only is the start date uncertain, the 拢2.2bn cost estimate might not be 100% reliable, given the scale of the works.
聽Karl Horton, data services director at the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), said: 鈥淭he approval of London Gatwick鈥檚 拢2.2bn second runway is an important signal of intent for the UK infrastructure pipeline, particularly in a year when activity has been subdued. Major schemes of this scale can provide confidence not only to contractors and consultants but also to private investors considering commitments in other sectors.
鈥淭hat said, as with all large infrastructure projects, the prospect of judicial review or further challenge is very real, underlining the 'one step forward, two steps back' pattern that often undermines delivery momentum.
鈥淢eeting environmental expectations will be equally critical. Ensuring projects align with carbon and sustainability requirements is increasingly part of maintaining development obligations and investor confidence.
鈥淔rom a cost perspective, the 拢2.2bn estimate should be treated cautiously. Long delivery programmes inevitably face inflationary pressures and any escalation in labour or resource costs could shift the outturn cost significantly. 聽Using project-specific indices to monitor and forecast inflation over the life cycle is vital if London Gatwick and its partners are to keep on top of funding certainty and risk.
鈥淲orkforce planning will also be crucial. London and the southeast already face heavy competition for skilled labour and ensuring the right workforce is trained and retained for aviation work will be key to timely delivery.
鈥淯ltimately, collaboration, robust cost forecasting, disciplined risk-sharing and alignment with sustainability requirements will give this project the best chance of meeting budget and programme targets.鈥�
Gatwick Airport is owned 50.01% by French construction group Vinci and 49.99% by Global Infrastructure Partners, an American infrastructure investment fund.
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