London’s second-busiest airport, Gatwick, has a fast-track proposal for a second runway that would increase its capacity by 37% while also, it says, make it a ‘green’ net-zero airport by 2030.
Gatwick and Heathrow have long been rivals over adding additional capacity to London’s air traffic. While a government decision several years ago gave the green light to Heathrow over Gatwick, environmental and cost concerns have put the Heathrow plan on ice for years.
Gatwick’s plan would create a second runway by shifting its current standby runway over by 12 meters, which would make the two runways far enough apart to allow both to operate at the same time. It would cost about £500 million and wouldn’t require taking over additional land. Heathrow’s plan would involve taking over large areas of residential property and is estimated to cost several billion.
While Gatwick has filed official plans to start the work, opposition from Heathrow continues, and it is likely that there will be further hearings and decisions before anything can happen.
