Heathrow launches new bid to build third runway as company presses ahead with £2.3 billion upgrade
Heathrow is in talks with the government over controversial plans for a third runway and has announced a £2.3 billion upgrade.
Europe’s busiest airport is in fresh talks with ministers and airlines in its latest attempt in a long battle for expansion.
CEO Thomas Woldbye wants to boost existing infrastructure while rallying support for a third runway.
The negotiations received a boost after the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and a French investment giant took control of the airport this week.
Uncertainty over ownership after Ferrovial announced its intention to sell led to a pause in lobbying efforts.
Woldbye is now seeking a “clear signal” that the government will support a third runway. In 2018, Heathrow was given the green light for a runway that would allow 260,000 extra flights a year, after more than a decade of discussion.
Third runway: Heathrow, already Europe’s busiest airport, is in new talks with ministers and airlines in its latest attempt in a long-running battle to expand capacity
But plans that would see much of the villages of Harmondsworth, Sipson and Longford destroyed have stalled amid staunch opposition from green groups and local campaigners. And the cabinet is reportedly divided over whether to support the expansion.
Some ministers want economic growth, while others, including Environment Minister Ed Miliband, are against it because of climate change.
‘Heathrow said plans for a third runway would have to pass ‘rigorous carbon, noise and air quality tests’.
Woldbye wants to get more capacity from the existing infrastructure, as well as a third runway.
The £2.3 billion investment announced yesterday will go towards improving baggage delivery, punctuality and customer experience, and comes just days after Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF and Paris-based investment firm Ardian acquired a 37 percent stake bought in a £3.3 billion deal. which valued Heathrow at £8.3 billion.
The airport is now gearing up for its busiest festive period ever and is expecting a record-breaking Christmas Day.
Heathrow has forecast a total of 83.8 million passengers by 2024 after demand soared over the summer.
A spokesperson said: ‘Heathrow is the best connected airport in the world. That competitive advantage for UK plc already enables more than £200 billion in British trade annually.
“But growing the economy means adding capacity.”
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