Heathrow Airport has announced an expansion of £49 billion and urged its ministers to “clear the runway for takeoff”.

In a recent announcement, Heathrow Airport made an expansion announcement of £49 billion that includes the construction of third runway. The plan is also to reroute the Britain’s busiest motorway. Authorities have urged the ministers “clear the runway for takeoff”.

Chief Executive Thomas Woldbye emphasised that the airport is operating at full capacity. It has made the expansion task more challenging than ever. In their 10-year plan, it involved a £21 billion investment in a new north-west runway that will cross London’s M25 motorway.

Additional funds are provided for the renovation and expansion of existing terminals.

A consortium led by France’s Adrian owned Heathrow Airport. They planned to divert the M25 into a tunnel beneath the new runway, slightly on West side of its current path.

The airport authorities said that the government must amend planning and regulatory policies that have hindered runway expansion efforts over past two decades.

Heathrow emphasised that clear assurance will be required from shareholders regarding the enactment of necessary policy changes, before the entire planning application is under greenlight. The responsibility now lies over the shoulders of government.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves welcomed the expansion proposals, asserting they would help “kick-start economic growth.” She noted, “We are one step closer to expanding our biggest airport, boosting investment in Britain and creating up to 100,000 jobs.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander indicated she would revise a key planning document governing airport expansion, stating, “We’ll consider the proposal carefully over the summer.”

If approved, the plans would increase annual passenger capacity by 78% to 150 million, up from the current 84 million. The expansion joins similar projects at Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, and London City airports, which may lead to increased air traffic and emissions over London.

Heathrow assured that the air traffic control capacity will be improved to accommodate the higher traffic volume generated by the expansion. The airport also wants guarantees that the Civil Aviation Authority will not be able to reduce airline fees during construction, which could jeopardize funding.

Woldbye stated that with the right policy support, Heathrow is “ready to mobilize and start investing,” calling for a clear path forward for the project.

However, some existing airline customers, including IAG, the parent company of British Airways, have expressed concerns about the costs associated with expansion. IAG supports alternative proposals for a shorter runway that would not cross the M25, arguing that it would reduce complexity and costs.

The third runway remains a contentious issue, with opposition from London’s Labour Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and the Green Party, citing environmental concerns. Although Parliament voted in favor of expansion in 2018, a judicial review delayed the project until a Supreme Court ruling in December 2020.

Heathrow insists that the expansion is feasible within 10 years if political support is secured, and government officials have confirmed that the project will be privately funded without public subsidies.