Gatwick Northern Runway Plans

Gatwick has announced that there will be a twelve-week public consultation on the Northern Runway plans. This will run from 9th September 2021 to 1st December 2021.

Firstly, the plan is to bring the existing Northern Runway into routine use alongside the Main Runway. Which is a low impact way of unlocking new capacity using existing runway infrastructure. Particularly this scheme will help secure the airport’s long-term growth, generating approximately 18,400 additional jobs by 2038 and an additional expected £1.5bn GVA to the region.  Of course, passenger numbers currently remain low due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gatwick is taking its plans for growth forward now as we still expect to be capacity constrained in the time it would take to secure approvals, complete construction and start operations.  In this case, the plans would add resilience to Gatwick’s operations (reducing delays and congestion), bring new global connections. Also, allow an increase in passenger capacity to approximately 75 million passengers per annum by 2038.

The project proposals are low impact and are in line with Government policy of making best use of existing runways.  The project will be delivered in a sustainable way. Which will help to achieve the Government’s overall goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

As the proposed Northern Runway plans are considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. The airport plans to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build and operate the scheme.  The Statement of Community Consultation (setting out how Gatwick proposes to consult the local community on the proposed Northern Runway project) has been published today at www.gatwickairport.com/futureplans.

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