The Chancellor confirmed that the government will move to review the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for the proposed runway.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the comments setting out the government’s latest set of reforms to kickstart economic growth, reforms which include support and an invitation of proposals for a third runway at Heathrow.

As reported by TRBusiness, the remarks come after a record year at the UK hub, wherein 2024 saw a record-breaking 83.9m pax, with a forecast for an increase to 84.2m this year.

Reacting to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s comments regarding expanding Heathrow to drive economic growth, Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said:“We welcome the Chancellor’s support for the aviation industry and recognition of the critical role we play for the economy and in delivering growth across the UK.

Heathrow is the UK’s gateway to growth and prosperity. A third runway and the infrastructure that comes with it would unlock billions of pounds of private money to stimulate the UK supply chain during construction. Once built, it would create jobs and drive trade, tourism and inward investment to every part of the country. It would also give airlines and passengers the competitive, resilient hub airport they expect while putting the UK back on the map at the heart of the global economy. With strict environmental safeguards, it would demonstrate that by growing our economy responsibly we can ensure our commitments to future generations are delivered.

As the biggest airport in Europe, Heathrow is the biggest airport in Europe and the largest port by value with over £200bn of British trade. It is likely any expansion plans would be largely privately-funded, with the intention of delivering significant growth in jobs, trade, tourism and investment across the UK.

There has been consistent pushback on plans for a their runway in recent years, especially from local activist groups concerned over the ecological impact, though as of 2023 Heathrow’s carbon targets were still aligned with those of the UK carbon budgets, and any expansion would have to sit within the limits of strict tests set out in the ANPS on carbon, noise and air quality.

Woldbye continued: “This is the bold, responsible vision the UK needs to thrive in the 21st century, and I thank the Government and Chancellor for their leadership. It has given us the confidence to confirm our continued support for expanding Heathrow.

“Successfully delivering the project at pace requires policy change – particularly around necessary airspace modernisation and making the regulatory model fit for purpose. We will now work with the Government on the expected planning reform and support Ministers to deliver the changes which will set us on track to securing planning permission before the end of this Parliament.”

READ MORE: Heathrow marks record-breaking 83.9m pax in 2024; forecasts 84.2m in 2025

READ MORE: New OAG data offers retrospective on busiest airports in 2024

READ MORE: Copenhagen airport reports 3.1% pax increase for 2024 ahead of centenary