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Gatwick moves forward on second runway after appeal dismissed
The 2030 target for a second runway would add about 100,000 more flights a year, as the £2.2bn expansion faces no further legal challenges on the Department for Transport approval.
Gatwick airport will begin development of its second runway after the Court of Appeal dismissed a legal challenge brought by local campaign groups, according to the Guardian Business. The ruling ends an eight-year planning and legal process tied to the expansion plans.
The £2.2bn project, approved in September by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, is designed to increase capacity by allowing about 100,000 more flights a year. The plans involve slightly repositioning Gatwick’s emergency runway so it can be used routinely for short-haul passenger aircraft, with the airport aiming to have the second runway operating as early as 2030.
Alexander said the expansion would bring around 13 million more passengers and 100,000 more flights, supporting greater travel choice and improved connectivity. The government also pointed to climate-related spending, including more than £219m for green fuel production to cut emissions from flying.
Campaigners had argued the government did not properly assess the scheme’s climate impact. Gatwick’s owner said the project could create up to 11,000 new jobs and generate up to an additional £1.5bn in annual economic activity, alongside pledges for strict controls on noise and carbon emissions, air quality, and surface access.