Chancellor John Healey stated that a third runway at Heathrow Airport would support economic growth and employment during comments made at the International Monetary Fund summit in Bangkok. Speaking to reporters on or before Saturday, October 17, 2026, Healey noted that airport expansion has historically been a significant driver of jobs and growth. He indicated that the government is currently reviewing responses from a public consultation led by the Department for Transport.
The project was previously identified by Healey’s predecessor, Rachel Reeves, as a central component of British economic policy. Last year, Reeves stated that the expansion was necessary and that the government could no longer delay a decision. However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has recently declined to take a firm stance, characterizing the runway in September 2026 as a matter specifically for London and its residents.
Heathrow’s chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, stated this week that the airport requires a clear position from the government. The expansion project carries an estimated cost of £33 billion and involves infrastructure changes, including the demolition of hundreds of homes and the rerouting of a section of the M25 motorway through a tunnel. While the runway was originally scheduled to open by 2035, Heathrow officials have indicated that planning and regulatory challenges have delayed the projected completion date to 2039.
For residents near the airport and those living near junctions 14 and 15 of the M25, the project would result in physical changes to the landscape, including the diversion of rivers and the construction of a motorway tunnel. Climate campaigners and local politicians continue to oppose the expansion, citing environmental and local impacts. The concrete day-to-day change for these groups would be the commencement of large-scale construction and the eventual increase in flight capacity, though these effects are now not expected until at least 2039.
The Department for Transport is currently evaluating the National Policy Statement, the document that serves as the legal basis for approving a new runway. This review follows a public consultation that has now concluded. The next steps involve the government announcing a formal decision based on these reviews. If the project receives backing by the end of this year, the planning and regulatory process will continue toward the revised 2039 opening date. If backing is withheld, the future of the third runway remains unconfirmed.