Work is now set to start on bringing the standby northern runway at Gatwick into full operational use, increasing capacity from 280,000 flights a year to around 389,000 by the late 2030s. The £2.2bn project is privately financed and shovel-ready, the airport says. Central to the expansion is repositioning the centre line of the northern runway 12 metres north to allow dual runway operations, aligning with international safety standards.
The plans also include extensions to both terminals and a new pier to park aircraft. It is also extending an existing pier and building flyovers to separate local and airport road traffic, to reduce congestion. The five-year programme includes new passenger facilities, car parking, offices and hotels.
Gatwick submitted its development consent order application to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2023, which in turn submitted its report to the secretary of state for transport on 27th November 2024. In February transport secretary Heidi Alexander has said she was “minded to approve” the plans subject to noise mitigation measures being developed. These issues have now been settled to her satisfaction and development consent has been granted.
