Heathrow's Third Runway Faces Possible Delay to 2039 Due to Planning Hurdles
Details and Implications of the Third Runway Delay
(Corrects date in second bullet point to 2035 from 2029)
Announcement of the Delay
Sept 26 (Reuters) - Britain's Heathrow Airport said on Saturday the opening of its planned third runway could be delayed until 2039.
Key Statements and Timeline
Heathrow's Planning Permission Goals
• "Our focus has always been to secure planning permission by 2029. Once achieved the runway will be open within a decade," a spokesperson for Heathrow said in an emailed statement.
Ambitious Targets and Regulatory Challenges
• The UK's biggest airport said that 2035 had been an "ambitious target" which would have needed significant changes in regulations and policy.
Core Scenario for Runway Opening
• Opening a new runway within a decade of receiving the planning permission has always been the "core scenario" for Heathrow.
Government Support and Economic Impact
Political Backing
• Britain's Labour government last year backed a third runway at Heathrow, one of the world's busiest airports, arguing that the project would support economic growth.
Expansion and Upgrade Plan
Financial Breakdown
• The government approved Heathrow's £49 billion ($64.92 billion) expansion and upgrade plan, which included £15 billion of upgrade work already planned and the cost of building the runway, re-routing London's orbital motorway and adding a new terminal, put at about £33 billion.
Heathrow's Current Capacity and Comparison
• Located west of London, Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport and operates at full capacity. Its two runways compare with four each in Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt Airport, and six at Amsterdam's Schiphol.
Additional Information
($1 = 0.7548 pounds)
(Reporting by Chandni Shah in BengaluruEditing by Gareth Jones)
