Government Launches Heathrow Expansion Consultation

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Campaigners condemn 'sham process' being used to justify third runway

A visualisation of the expanded airport showing third runway. Picture: Heathrow

June 19, 2026

The Government has launched a major public consultation on the framework that will guide future planning decisions for a third runway at Heathrow — a move ministers say will unlock billions in investment and create tens of thousands of jobs, but which campaigners have immediately criticised as a “sham” and a threat to communities and the environment.

The consultation, published on Thursday 18 June, sets out the proposed National Policy Statement (NPS) that will underpin a final planning decision in 2029. Ministers say the document establishes strict tests on noise, air quality, climate impacts and economic growth, and will give the public, businesses and local communities more than ten weeks — until 1 September — to have their say.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the Government was “a government of builders, not blockers”, arguing that expansion at the UK’s busiest airport could support over 60,000 new local jobs, improve domestic and international connectivity, and deliver up to £42 billion in economic benefits.

“Heathrow is one of the world’s most successful hub airports,” she said. “Today’s consultation is a positive step towards realising the benefits of a third runway, by giving businesses, communities, and the public the chance to help shape this key project… on the key issues of noise, air quality, climate change and economic growth.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said expansion was central to the Government’s growth agenda, calling the consultation “a key milestone in delivering the infrastructure our country needs”.

The Government has also formally asked the Climate Change Committee to advise on how any expansion could be compatible with the UK’s legally binding net‑zero commitments. Airspace modernisation — aimed at delivering quicker, quieter and more efficient flights — is being developed alongside the policy process.

Opponents of expansion reacted sharply, accusing ministers of rushing the process and limiting public scrutiny.

The No 3rd Runway Coalition said launching the consultation on Clean Air Day was “ironic”, given the potential for increased pollution around Heathrow. They criticised the decision to run the consultation over the summer holiday period and said the level of detail provided was too high‑level for communities to understand how they would be affected.

Campaigners also highlighted estimates that a third runway could expose 2.2 million people to aircraft noise — more than any other airport in the world — and argued that expansion cannot meet the Government’s own tests on climate, air quality, noise and equitable economic growth.

Paul McGuinness, Chair of the Coalition, said the project risked becoming “a pig‑headed, Catch‑22 style farce”, pointing to the scale of land required, the displacement of residents, and the financial challenges facing Heathrow.

“Heathrow is unable to afford it, yet refuses to allow anyone else to develop it,” he said. “That leaves just one solution — increasing what are already the highest passenger charges in the world. Airline customers have made it clear this will out‑price them and force them to use alternative airports instead.”

He compared the project to HS2, warning that the Government risked “repeating similar mistakes”.

The consultation marks the latest stage in a decades‑long debate over Heathrow’s future. The Government says the new NPS will be completed three years faster than the previous version, published in 2018, and that the process will ensure any future planning application is judged against clear, legally enforceable criteria.

Developers — including Heathrow Airport Limited, whose scheme was selected last November to inform the NPS review — will need to demonstrate how their proposals meet the four key tests on climate, air quality, noise and economic benefit.

The Government says the consultation will “strengthen the decision‑making process” and keep the project on track for a final decision in 2029.

Campaigners, however, argue that the process is being rushed and that expansion remains incompatible with environmental and community protections.

The consultation is open until 1 September 2026, with responses invited from residents, businesses, local authorities and the wider aviation sector.

You can respond to the consultation online.

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