Gatwick Airport is moving forward with plans to draft new proposals aimed at alleviating road congestion as part of its ambitious effort to expand operations with a second runway. Despite advice from planning inspectors suggesting that expansion should be rejected, Gatwick remains determined to keep its plans on track.
In February 2025, the government expressed its conditional intent to approve the expansion project, which has been estimated to cost approximately £2.2 billion. This comes with stipulations regarding noise pollution management and increased public transportation usage.
The Planning Inspectorate had previously recommended that consent be denied for the use of Gatwick’s emergency runway for regular operations. However, it left an opening for Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to approve a modified plan, allowing for a potential pathway for Gatwick to proceed.
To satisfy noise pollution standards, Gatwick officials believe they can meet the requirements but find the government mandate that 54% of passengers travel to and from the airport by public transport—up from its current level of 44%—inadequate and impractical.
In response, Gatwick is preparing alternative proposals to effectively manage road congestion. These proposals hinge on the anticipated increase of passengers—up to 75 million—if the second runway is brought into operational status. Gatwick has until April 24, 2025, to submit these revised plans, with CEO Stewart Wingate emphasizing that they will respond before this deadline.
“We certainly want to make the investment, but we need to be certain that we’ll be able to use the infrastructure that we invest in,” Wingate asserted. His comments highlight the airport's commitment to addressing the conditions set by the government for expansion while ensuring the feasibility of their planned infrastructure investments.
The CEO also addressed the challenges posed by the public transport requirement. He made it clear that failing to achieve the mandated 54% passenger rate on public transport would prevent them from utilizing the infrastructure they plan to invest in. “If the percentage of passengers fell beneath the 54% as currently written, we then wouldn’t be able to use the infrastructure that we’ve invested in. That’s a problem for us,” he pointed out.
In seeking to refocus the discussion, Wingate mentioned areas where conditions could be improved, such as controls over train timetables, pricing, and overall promotion of train services. He noted, “The areas which would give us comfort would be if you had control, for example, of the timetable, of the pricing, how many carriages the trains had, and how the trains were promoted.” This emphasizes the complexities of local transport dynamics that lie beyond the airport's control and the need for cooperative solutions.
Despite these obstacles, Wingate expressed optimism that the new proposals should enable them to achieve final approval. “This should enable them to give us a final approval... which is in line with the calls for industry to bring forward projects that are privately financed and generate economic activity that we’re hearing from the government,” he commented.
Gatwick's financial performance has been notable, as the airport recently reported annual profits of £340 million for the 2024 fiscal year, reflecting approximately a 10% increase year-over-year, on revenues of £1.1 billion. Gatwick handled 43.2 million passengers in the last 12 months, marking a 6% rise compared to the previous period.
This growth positions Gatwick strategically in its pursuit of expansion, ideally aiming to operate an additional runway by 2030, which would place it five years ahead of Heathrow, already locked into its own expansion timelines decided by governmental commission in 2016. This contrasted picture may highlight a remarkable shift in the aviation landscape, especially if Gatwick can successfully navigate its planning permissions in a timely fashion.
As the transport sector re-evaluates its infrastructure to meet soaring demand, the government is also facing an upcoming decision on Luton Airport's application to increase its capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander faces a deadline of April 3 to announce her decision on Luton’s expansion proposals, which will add further tension to the competitive landscape in the London airport sector.
As Gatwick continues to push for its second runway, the resolution of these complex negotiations and approvals will likely have profound implications not only for the airport itself but for the regional economy and passengers who rely on its services. With these latest moves, Gatwick is striving to not only ensure its future but also maintain its position as a key player within the global aviation market.
