Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said Andy Burnham has an “open mind” about Heathrow expansion, following the Prime Minister's repeated refusal to back proposals for a third runway. Her comments came as the Heathrow Airport third runway project was officially delayed by four years, pushing its expected operational date from 2035 to 2039.
Project timeline revised
Airport bosses and the Department for Transport conceded that the previous timeline was overambitious without radical policy and regulatory restructuring. Despite this setback, developer Heathrow Airport Ltd still plans to secure planning permission by 2029.
Ms Alexander said Britons “want to be proud” of the country’s main airport and there were major potential economic benefits from expanding the transport hub. However, she acknowledged those factors had to be balanced against environmental concerns and the potential impact on people living near the airport to the west of London.
Government stance and consultation
Despite the Labour government backing expansion of the airport before Mr Burnham took office, the Prime Minister has refused to confirm his support, saying it is subject to a consultation and then the planning process. At a Politico fringe event at the Labour Party conference, Ms Alexander said: “I think Andy’s got an open mind.”
“He wants to listen to the views of communities… the communities most affected in London, but he’ll also be listening to the business community. He’ll be listening to the views of other airports. There’s airports like Newcastle and Edinburgh that are in support of expansion at Heathrow. It provides additional connectivity as a hub airport.”
She added: “If you think about the exports that go through Heathrow, the Scottish salmon industry are interested because by value that’s the biggest export from Heathrow as well. So this affects everyone, a lot of people across the country, a lot of people might not fly from Heathrow every year, but I do think that British people want to be proud of the country’s only hub airport.”
Global connectivity and economic impact
Ms Alexander also highlighted the international dimension: “I also think it does say something about how the world views us and how open we are to the rest of the world. I visited China and Japan in the summer, and I was struck by the number of people who, both businesses, my counterparts, were talking to me about more direct flights into Heathrow.” She said that, with the growth of the middle classes in India and China, “we want people to be able to come to our country’s capital city”.
The proposed expansion would see Heathrow gain a third runway, known as the Northwest Runway, alongside new and expanded airport infrastructure. Heathrow says the runway could allow up to 276,000 additional flights a year, while the wider expansion plans would increase the airport's overall capacity to as many as 150 million passengers a year.
The project has been presented by the Government as a way of increasing international connectivity, supporting trade and creating jobs. In June, the Department for Transport said an expanded Heathrow could support more than 60,000 new local jobs and improve passenger and freight connections across the UK.
Planning process and next steps
However, the expansion remains subject to a planning process and environmental requirements. The Government's draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement sets out tests covering economic growth, climate change, air quality and noise, while the impact on communities will also have to be considered. The policy statement itself does not grant planning permission for a third runway.
Heathrow is due to hold an eight-week public consultation on its latest expansion proposals from October 27 to December 22, 2026, before submitting its development consent application. The airport's plans also involve major changes around Heathrow, including the realignment of part of the M25 and additional transport infrastructure intended to support the expanded airport.
