Heathrow Airport Chief Executive Thomas Woldbye warned that abandoning plans for a third runway would represent a major missed opportunity for the UK. Meanwhile, airport officials confirmed that the multi-billion-pound expansion project faces a four-year delay, pushing its completion date to 2039 due to planning and regulatory issues.
Private investors will direct capital elsewhere if the domestic scheme stalls, according to airport leadership pressing the government for clear backing while the timeline slips past targets set during previous administrations.
Thomas Woldbye Warns Against Abandoning Expansion
Airport chief executive Thomas Woldbye warned that not proceeding with a third runway would constitute a massive setback for the British economy. Speaking on broadcast media, the airport boss argued that private investors would redirect capital elsewhere if the domestic scheme stalls.
“If they cannot invest in Heathrow… then that money will be invested somewhere else in the world.”
Thomas Woldbye, Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport
Woldbye added that the capital funding stems from international private entities rather than public coffers, meaning a canceled project would divert billions away from the UK entirely. Heathrow’s ownership consortium includes French private equity firm Ardian alongside the Qatar Investment Authority, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and the China Investment Corporation. Woldbye told the BBC that he hoped Prime Minister Andy Burnham would will come along
with the project, noting that the initiative was backed by the unions. Sir John Armitt, a former chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, described how Britain has approved, cancelled, recommended, endorsed, litigated, and revived the third runway over the years. A spokesman for Heathrow stated that the company focuses on securing planning permission by 2029, emphasizing that the sooner expansion begins, the sooner the whole UK will benefit.
Heathrow Shifts Third Runway Launch to 2039
Airport executives informed government ministers of a four-year schedule adjustment, shifting the operational launch from 2035 to 2039. The massive undertaking carries an estimated cost of £49bn, which includes approximately £33bn specifically allocated for constructing the new runway and associated infrastructure. Heathrow serves more than 80 million travellers a year using its four passenger terminals and two runways, while flight counts capped at 480,000 annually could rise to 720,000 if the third runway is built.
Regulatory reviews and planning realities caused the revised schedule.
Government officials previously supported the proposal to bolster national growth. Last year, Rachel Reeves announced her backing for the runway, projecting it would generate 100,000 jobs. More recently, Chancellor John Healey reaffirmed government support in the Commons.
Andy Burnham Declines to Endorse Airport Expansion
Prime Minister Andy Burnham declined to endorse the expansion during a broadcast interview ahead of the Labour Party conference, emphasizing that the consultation feedback from local residents and London stakeholders requires careful consideration. Burnham, who as Mayor of Greater Manchester opposed the scheme, stated during an interview on Sunday ahead of Labour’s annual party conference in Liverpool that the matter was principally for London and Londoners, adding that he wanted to hear the voice of local people first.
Constructing the third runway requires demolishing hundreds of homes, diverting local rivers, and rerouting the M25 motorway through a tunnel between junctions 14 and 15.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander countered that economy-wide emissions targets should not prevent construction, arguing that aviation impacts can be offset holistically across other sectors, and noting that the third runway would serve as the country’s front door to tourists from China and India. Heathrow serves more than 80 million travellers a year using its four passenger terminals and two runways.