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Airports

Gatwick Airport Expansion Plans Face Judicial Review Challenge

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Gatwick airport's expansion plans have faced opposition from local anti-airport campaigners, Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne), who plan to launch a court challenge against the Labour Government's approval of the second runway. The potential judicial review comes as a Gatwick executive confirmed that the new runway could be operational by "the turn of the decade", with flight prices possibly remaining at similar levels to what they are today. Gatwick received the go-ahead for its £2.2bn plans on Sunday night, which involve rebuilding the existing standby runway and increasing the safety gap between it and the main take-off and landing strip.

Key Takeaways:

  • Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) plans to launch a court challenge against the Labour Government's approval of Gatwick's second runway expansion.
  • The new runway could be operational by "the turn of the decade", with Gatwick executive Stewart Wingate confirming this timeline.
  • Flight prices for passengers may not increase to pay for the expansion, with Wingate stating that airport charges will remain at similar levels to what they are today.
  • The £2.2bn project involves rebuilding the existing standby runway and increasing the safety gap between it and the main take-off and landing strip.
  • Cagne has been funded by local residents since its formation over a decade ago and has since become a major campaigning and lobbying force against Gatwick airport expansion.
  • Gatwick airport is owned by Vinci Airports, with the new runway set to serve smaller aircraft on short-haul flights.
  • The existing runway will handle larger aeroplanes, including the Airbus A380 super-jumbo.

Statistics:

  • £2.2bn: The estimated cost of the Gatwick airport expansion project.
  • 12 metres (40ft): The distance by which the new runway will be rebuilt north of its current location.
  • 43 years: The age of the main runway, built in 1972.
  • 2.7 million: The number of passengers Gatwick Airport serves annually.
  • 75%: The proportion of flights affected by the existing standby runway's take-off and landing pattern.
  • 80%: The proportion of flights handled by the existing main runway.

Sources:

  • Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne)
  • The Telegraph
  • Reuters
  • PA
  • Bloomberg Finance

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