Heathrow Warns Third Runway May Miss 2035 Target

On 26-27 September 2026, Heathrow Airport indicated that its planned third runway might not be finished until 2039 — as much as four years later than the government's original 2035 goal — while Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to say whether he supports the expansion.²³⁴

Delay to the timeline

Heathrow said its focus remained on securing planning permission by 2029, with the runway opening within a decade after that, but acknowledged the original 2035 deadline had always been ambitious. A Heathrow spokesperson said hitting that goal was becoming harder unless the planning process is streamlined further.²³

The Department for Transport noted that no planning application for a third runway is currently active, and said it was unable to comment on ongoing consultations in ways that could jeopardize or further slow them down. The department added that it would keep collaborating quickly with project backers such as Heathrow, along with other interested parties, to establish the appropriate framework.²³

The Independent reported that top Heathrow officials have privately indicated to ministers that hitting the original 2035 target is no longer feasible, with the anticipated completion now shifted to 2039.³

Political response

Speaking at the start of the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool, Burnham told the BBC that the Heathrow expansion issue was principally a matter for London and local voices. He refused to say whether he personally backs the third runway.⁴²⁵

While serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham had opposed the scheme, fearing it would divert transport funding away from the north of England, but he indicated a willingness to reconsider his position after becoming prime minister. The government led by his predecessor, Keir Starmer, had announced support for Heathrow's expansion proposal in 2025.²⁴⁵

While serving as chancellor, Rachel Reeves promoted the runway as a driver of economic growth and formally confirmed the government's support for it in an infrastructure address. Since then, John Healey has taken over the position from Reeves.²³

Costs, jobs and opposition

According to the BBC, the runway alone carries a projected price tag of £33bn, forming part of a broader £49bn overhaul of the airport. Heathrow said the project would create around 100,000 jobs and is 100% privately financed.²

A Heathrow spokesperson stated that earlier expansion would mean faster benefits nationwide, including at least 108,000 new jobs and billions of pounds of investment flowing into supply chains throughout the country.²³

Union leader Sharon Graham said a third runway is essential, describing it as an investment in the workforce and a guaranteed market for UK steel. Unite and the GMB have backed the new runway.²

Environmental activists and community groups have widely opposed the project. The expansion would require tearing down hundreds of houses, redirecting rivers, and moving the M25 motorway between junctions 14 and 15 into a tunnel running under the new runway. The annual flight cap, presently set at 480,000, could climb to 720,000 — averaging almost 2,000 flights daily.²

Heathrow said it shared the prime minister's view that local opinions should be taken into account, noting that ten years of surveys have shown rising local backing for its expansion plans.²