Heathrow's third runway delayed until 2039

LONDON, 27 September: Construction of the third runway at Heathrow Airport has been suspended for four years until 2039, PA Media/dpa reports.

The management of the largest and busiest airport in the United Kingdom (UK) is understood to have informed the government that the current target for completing the project by 2035 is not achievable.

The period change is expected to affect Prime Minister Andy Burnham's desire to drive economic growth as the Labour Party's annual conference kicks off in Liverpool.

The 2035 target was set by then-Chancellor Rachel Reeves last January and was considered an ambitious goal at the time.

Reeves in a keynote speech on infrastructure announced the UK government would support the third landmark project as an effort to stimulate economic growth, adding that the project would create 100,000 jobs.

The airport aims to obtain planning permission by 2029 and from the outset considers the construction of the new runway within a decade as a reasonable target.

Heathrow management believes the project could be completed earlier, but it may require more regulatory barriers to be removed in addition to the government's reform of planning legislation.

A Heathrow spokesman said: "It is reasonable to set high targets; the sooner expansion starts, the sooner the whole of the UK will benefit. Our focus from the beginning was to get planning permission by 2029.

"Once authorization is obtained, the trail will be opened within a decade and the benefits of extension can begin to be felt from now on. At least 108,000 new jobs will be created and billions of dollars' worth of investment channelled into supply chains across the country.

"This is a national project fully funded by the private sector, which will support current growth and ensure the UK's position in the global economy once the pipeline opens".

A Transport Department spokesman said: "At the moment, there are no active planning applications for the third runway and we cannot comment on the ongoing negotiation process or influence it in a way that will only slow progress.

"The timeline was ambitious from the beginning.

"We will continue to work with the proposers, including Heathrow, as well as all other stakeholders immediately to ensure that an appropriate framework is available to allow planning applications for a third runway to be considered". - TVS