Britain’s second -largest British airport, London Gatwick, is possible to expand her conditional expansion.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, “Used to increase capacity with the approval of” airport owners. ” They intend to increase traffic on Europe’s busiest gang now and set up a ready -to -operate runway to use routine with aircraft.

In a written parliamentary response, he said: “Today (February 27, 2025), I issued a letter to approval for the North Gatwik Airport, according to the 2008 Planning Act.

“The final decision deadline has now expanded to October 27, 2025 (9 months extension),” he said.

Assuming this design is going, the second band must be transferred slightly from the main part so that both are used simultaneously.

The development at a price of 2.2 billion pounds increases the potential by two-thirds to 75 million passengers per year-just 10 percent less than currently using Hitro.

Stuart Wingat, CEO of Gatwick, says the plan has many benefits. In an article for Independent“London airports are currently capacity and demand is expected to grow more than 30 million passengers by 2030,” he wrote.

The airport chief describes the project as: “A £ 2.2 billion investment with private and ready -made shovels that could be completed by the end of the decade.

“With almost all the things that happen at our existing borders, there should be no major disorder and no money will be spent on taxpayers,” he said.

“It creates 14,000 jobs and creates extra £ 1 billion each year – not only for the southeast but throughout the UK,” he said.

“We will present this project according to our noise and sustainability commitments and minimize its impact on local communities.”

Planning inspectors first recommend rejecting the project as standing. The Minister of Transport ignores the protests, but it seems that some reforms intended to reduce side effects.

The cost is initially reached by airport owners and is offset by charges of increasing the number of flights and passengers through their costs.

What is the plan?

Gatwick plans to extract more capacity from the main band to increase the number of passengers by one -third, from about 45 million annually to about 60 million.

In addition, both can be used simultaneously by moving the ready -to -operate band at 12 meters north – farther away from the original.

Where did Gatwick hide the second band in these years?

Gatwick was inaugurated in 1936 for business activities. It was the world’s first modern airport with an integrated station and railway station. Since then, all the expansion has been in the north of the main band.

During the expansion period in 1979, a secondary band was established in the north of the main band by upgrading a taxi. It is used in emergencies when blocking the main band and when planned. The main band is known as 08R/26L, with ready to work 08L/26R.

In 1979, the British Airports Office and the West Sussex County Council agreed that the emergency gang “is not used under any circumstances for landing or landing with a fixed wing” when the main band is available for use. The parties to the contract: “This agreement ends for forty years.” The transaction expired on August 13, 2019. As Gatwik approached the capacity, the airport has been seeking to use the second runway to permanent use.

How difficult is it to use both bands at the same time?

The distance between the central lines is two bands 198 meters. The International Civil Aviation Organization has regulated laws on “simultaneous operations in the runway or near parallel airport”, known as SOIR. They create the minimum distance between the central lines of the parallel runway as 210 meters “when the airport runway is intended for use by medium or heavy aircraft.” “Medium” means Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s, “Heavy” Airbus A350s and A380s as well as Boeing 777.

The airport runway is 12 meters very close. So what’s going on?

The central lines are separated by 12 meters north of the ready -to -operate runway.

“Safety and security are always our top priorities, and any new development is fully in accordance with all international safety requirements,” says Gatwick.

How can they be used-one of the rise, one for landing?

No. This pattern is in Hitro, where the runway is far more far from the airport. In Gatwick, the main band is still used for all landing and some rise. The extra band is used only to travel to narrow planes such as the Boeing 737 family and Airbus A320.

Is there a strong opposition?

Yes, while the number of people affected by the increase in flight movements for Gatwick is much lower than that of Hitro, the anti -expansion lobby is the voice expansion. Societies against the release of Gatwick’s noise (CAGNE) are accused of Gatwick who seeks to introduce the second gang by Stealth, saying, “This is simply betraying Susks, Syria and Kent … a knife in the heart for residents who thought they could live after the gang by Hitro airport.”

The Gatwick Campaign Campaign says the expansion can bring hundreds of extra flights a day and exacerbate noise, air pollution and over-traffic-put more pressure on the local road network, M23 highway and London-Brighton rail line.

“This innovative development, which meets all international safety requirements, is delivered without increasing the airport’s noise and providing more operational resistance,” says Gatwick.

What is the program?

Initially, the target date of using the second “new” band was the start of the 2025 summer season. But Coveid’s epidemic – which reached Sussex Airport especially hard – suspended expansion programs. The expectation is now to be ready by 2030.

What will this program be involved in advancing?

Adding 12 meters of asphalt and painting a fresh line is easy. The bandwidth approach and lighting requires the relocation and rewriting of navigation databases. And this is just to ensure safe operations.

The ready -to -operate runway acts as the main taxi for the main band. Eliminate it and increase the number of movements by 20 to 30 percent and the procurement is very complicated.

In addition, the Gatwick is relatively stretched out for the gates of the peak – although this can be addressed through financial incentives to the airlines.

Then there is an access to the surface. A two-stage Gatwick, with a number of passengers of 75 million per year, puts more pressure on the London-Brighton rail line and the M23 highway.

Remind me about the previous program for the second band?

When Gatwick was one of the main candidates for the expansion of the Davis Commission, the idea was to create a “second gang with a wide distance” to the south of the existing pair.

Gatwick lost to Hitro, but Sasks Airport “believes he is still interested in preserving the land for the future.” Over time, so Gatwick can become a three -step airport …

Is Hitro expanded from his closest rival?

No. Heitro considers himself a much more desirable proposition, almost all the precious gaps for the landing and landing for which it is speaking, and the only British Hub Airport.

The day before Gatwick’s decision, Thomas Waldabi, the chief executive of Hitro, told me that he could have a third gang by 2035.

Earlier, a spokesman for Hitro told me, “We have always supported sustainable growth at other UK airports such as Gatwick, which has another goal for Hitro.”

Are there any other airport developments in the region?

The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has the deadline for April 3 to determine whether Luton Airport Expansion Plan can go ahead. This does not include a new band, but you see the number of passengers almost twice by 2040.