Heathrow Airport responds to Supreme Court ruling for third runway

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) has released a statement following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Wednesday, 16 December that the UK government’s Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) is lawful and legal government policy, thereby lifting the ban on Heathrow’s plans for a third runway. The decision was unanimously agreed, and the airport can now make a planning application, but will still have to persuade a public inquiry of their case for expansion. The government will then have final say on whether the third runway will go ahead.

Heathrow has released the following statement:

“This is the right result for the country, which will allow Global Britain to become a reality. Only by expanding the UK’s hub airport can we connect all of Britain to all of the growing markets of the world, helping to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in every nation and region of our country. Demand for aviation will recover from COVID-19, and the additional capacity at an expanded Heathrow will allow Britain as a sovereign nation to compete for trade and win against our rivals in France and Germany. The ruling recognises the robust planning process that will require Heathrow to prove expansion is compliant with the UK’s climate change obligations, including the Paris Climate Agreement, before construction can begin. The government has made decarbonising aviation a central part of its green growth agenda, through wider use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel as well as new technology. We will now consult with investors, government, airline customers and regulators on our next steps.”