On 15 January 2009 the Government announced a third runway at Heathrow would go ahead. For more information on the Government's decision, please visit the Department for Transport website.

This decision followed over six years of Government review and consultation on the issue of UK airport expansion at Heathrow.

In the 2003 Air Transport White Paper the Government announced that it supported the future growth of Heathrow, subject to strict environmental conditions.

“The further development of Heathrow is supported, including a further new runway and additional terminal capacity to be delivered as soon as possible (within the 2015-2020 period) after the new runway at Stansted, but only if stringent environmental limits can be met”.

In its 2006 White Paper Progress Report the Government reaffirmed its commitment to the future growth of Heathrow but made it clear that there would be no further growth of Heathrow unless the set environmental limits were met:

• No more noise than in 2002
• All air quality pollution safely within EU limits
• Public transport improvements to help manage congestion. 

To help assess whether future growth of the airport would be possible within the set environmental limits, the Government set up a body known as the Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow (PSDH). The Department for Transport carried out a public consultation on the findings of PSDH between November 2007 and February 2008. You can view the consultation document and supporting material by visiting the Department for Transport website.

The findings of this consultation helped inform the Government policy decision in January 2009 to support a third runway but prevent mixed mode operations at Heathrow. This had a clear impact on Heathrow's expansion plans. The go-ahead for a third runway was made subject to very strict environmental conditions, (including a reduction in aviation’s carbon emissions) that will be legally enforceable by independent bodies. Find out more about how the environmental limits will be enforced. 

To see the full Government announcement please go to the Department for Transport website.