In the UK's July 2024 General Election, Labour won a majority of seats in parliament, putting an end to the previous Conservative government in power for over a decade. The shift in government was also expected to mark a change in attitude towards the controversial London Heathrow expansion plan which includes work on a new, third runway. Despite that, it seems the Labour government is more committed than ever to a new runway, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves expected to give the green light in a speech next week.
Heathrow Airport is already very congested, with available slots hard to come by despite continued airline demand for additional expansion. easyJet, for instance, has said that it would consider operating at Heathrow "at scale" should the expansion be approved, according to Aviation Week . The third runway forms part of an expansion plan that would alleviate pressure on the airport's existing infrastructure while providing the necessary means to satisfy airline and passenger demand.
That being said, it comes with a hefty environmental cost, which some believe outweighs the benefits of a larger London Heathrow Airport by a considerable margin. Rachel Reeves supports a London Heathrow expansion The previous Conservative government was officially in favor of the project, pushing through the £14 billion ($17.5 billion) project through parliament in 2018.
While members voted overwhelmingly in favor, in early 2020, the Court of Appeal deemed the plan unlawful. The Supreme C.