The UK government has launched a public consultation on the framework for future decisions on a third runway at Heathrow Airport, marking a step toward a final planning decision in 2029.
The consultation, which opened on June 18, 2026, will run for more than 10 weeks until September 1, 2026. It invites businesses, communities and the public to weigh in on how a third-runway project would address four key areas: air quality, noise, climate change and economic growth.
Under the proposed framework, any scheme would need a clear strategy for job creation and economic benefit, compatibility with the UK’s legally binding climate targets, compliance with legal air quality limits, and no worsening of noise emissions for local residents. Planning proposals from developers will be assessed against these tests.
Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves said an expanded Heathrow could support more than 60,000 new local jobs and deliver over £40bn (US$53bn) in benefits to the UK, with up to 40% of growth benefits expected to land outside London and the Southeast once the expansion is fully operational. Heathrow handled a record 84 million passengers last year, which the government says underscores the need for added capacity.
The consultation is intended to keep the government on track for a final planning decision by 2029, a timeline the transport secretary Heidi Alexander said is three years faster than the process that produced the 2018 policy statement.
Alexander said, “Today’s consultation is a positive step toward realissng the benefits of a third runway, by giving businesses, communities and the public the chance to help shape this key project at one of the world’s most successful hub airports.”
The independent Climate Change Committee is being formally consulted on how expansion can align with the UK’s net zero framework. The government is also modernizing UK airspace to enable quicker, quieter and more efficient flights with lower emissions.
In November, the government selected the scheme proposed by Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) to inform the National Policy Statement review.
Karen Dee, chief executive of AirportsUK, the trade body for UK airports, said, “A global Britain requires connectivity to both established and emerging markets across the globe and thus needs both world-class, competitive hub and point-to-point capacity.
“This is vital to drive inward investment, develop new trading opportunities, bring tourists to the UK, and create jobs and economic growth in all our regions.
“Airports across the country will be interested in what the framework being proposed in the draft Heathrow Expansion NPS says about this, and how policy will support delivery of new capacity that can be used to increase connectivity.
“We will work with our members and with ministers to ensure it provides the right conditions to ensure the country can deliver in a timely and sustainable fashion, the capacity and connectivity it requires in the future, linking our communities and businesses with domestic and international markets.”
Related news, Arora Group advances phased Heathrow expansion proposal
