Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 21, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe UK government has approved plans for a second runway at Gatwick Airport, aiming to boost trade and tourism by 2030 while addressing environmental concerns.
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's government said on Sunday that it has approved plans for a second runway at London Gatwick Airport.
It approved the 2.2 million-pound ($2.96 million) project after it said in February that it was inclined to approve the expansion of the country's second-largest airport.
At the time, Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said she had issued a "minded to approve" letter for Gatwick's plan to bring its backup runway into full use to add millions of new passengers in the 2030s.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said on Sunday that following careful consideration, Alexander has issued a letter confirming she has approved the airport's application to expand operations, through routine use of its existing northern runway.
Gatwick did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Gatwick's plan is to move the backup runway by 12 metres to meet safety standards for both runways to operate, which could be by the end of the decade, boosting trade and tourism and creating 14,000 jobs.
Alexander will want to ensure the Gatwick expansion project is water-tight as it could face a legal challenge given opposition from local communities and environmental groups.
The government has said that sustainable aviation fuel means airport enlargements do not derail net-zero targets, and as such it has also backed a new runway at Gatwick's bigger rival, Heathrow.
($1 = 0.7426 pound)
(Reporting by Catarina Demony in LondonEditing by Matthew Lewis)
A runway is a defined rectangular area on an airport where aircraft take off and land. It is typically paved and designed to support the weight of aircraft.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a type of fuel made from renewable resources that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional jet fuel.
Job creation refers to the process of providing new employment opportunities, often as a result of economic growth or new business ventures.
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