Flights to the UK could almost double in the next decade. London Heathrow Airport has confirmed multi-million-pound terminal expansion plans and a new runway timeline as CEO Thomas Woldbye said planes could take off from the third runaway within 10 years.
Heathrow has set its sights on a third runway with government backing to grow the UK economy as multi-million-pound terminal upgrades begin.
Private funding will increase capacity at terminals two and five (the British Airways hub, which opened in 2008) along with upgrades to infrastructure, including reconfiguring the airfield layout to increase punctuality and improving local and sustainable transport connections.
Terminal upgrade plans were unveiled on 12 February 2025 to “enhance passenger experience and improve resilience and sustainability” while laying the groundwork for a third runway at the UK’s largest airport.
BBC reported the expansion of Heathrow Airport is highly controversial, facing opposition from environmental groups, many politicians, local authorities and residents.
Critics say increasing air travel would make it much harder for the UK to meet its climate change commitments.
Woldbye said it was a “collective mission” to grow Heathrow “responsibly within environmental boundaries”.
“A third runway at Heathrow cannot be a choice between economic growth and the environment. This project can only go ahead if we meet the rules on noise, air quality and carbon… it’s as simple as that,” he said.
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has backed a third runway, saying expansion is “badly needed” at the UK’s biggest airport and that she wants to see “spades in the ground” before 2029 and planes to start using the runway by 2035.
Flights from the airport are currently capped at a maximum of 480,000 per year. A third runway would potentially increase the number of flights permitted to 720,000.
Heathrow has previously capped daily passenger numbers to 100,000 to manage flight demand amid post-COVID staff shortages.
Even with the introduction of the new UK ETA, travel experts do not expect air travel from Australia to slow.
In 2024, a record 83.9 million passengers passed through its terminals with two runways handling around 1,300 landings and take-offs daily. Heathrow also shifts around £200 billion (approximately AUD$409 billion) worth of trade annually.
