Heathrow Airport has warned that its planned third runway at London Heathrow could open in 2039, about four years later than the government’s current 2035 ambition. The airport still aims to secure planning permission by 2029, while the Department for Transport maintains that no live planning application is yet in place.
The delay reflects the time needed to complete planning and regulatory steps, including finalising the draft planning framework published in June and obtaining parliamentary approval. Heathrow is not abandoning the project, but its latest timing implies a longer delivery window than the one previously targeted by ministers.
The runway remains one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, with estimated construction costs of £33bn and broader investment of about £49bn. Any slippage affects capacity expansion at one of Europe’s busiest hubs and pushes back the timing of expected economic benefits from the scheme.