A rival plan to expand Heathrow Airport with a third runway has been unveiled by a hotel tycoon. Surinder Arora, of the Arora Group, is linking up with the team behind Singapore’s Changi airport to take on Heathrow’s owners in an attempt to come up with the plan on how the major airport will be expanded.
The Arora Group and Heathrow’s owners have submitted separate plans to the Department for Transport for a third runway. Mr Arora’s bid includes building a 2,800-metre runway, while Heathrow’s owners are seeking permission for a full-length 3,500-metre runway.
Arora Group says the “primary benefit” of its plan, named Heathrow West, is that it would avoid the costly and disruptive need to divert the M25. A shorter runway could have limits on its use, although Arora Group insists it would be able to accommodate aircraft of all sizes.
Mr Arora, who is one of the largest landowners at Heathrow, said: “We are proud to deliver a highly credible proposal for a shorter runway and more efficient expansion at Heathrow. This reduces the costs, the delivery timescales and significant construction risks building across the M25 alike.
“We welcome all debate on which scheme demonstrates better value for the airlines, passengers and the British economy as a whole and continue to engage with the Government on the merits of our plan.”
Arora Group – who are working with the team behind Changi which has been rated by Consultancy Skytrax as the world’s best airport, with features such as a swimming pool, cinema and butterfly garden – stated the new runway could be fully operational by 2035, while a new terminal would open in two phases, in 2036 and 2040.
The plan, developed with infrastructure company Bechtel, has a cost estimate of under £25 billion, not including the redevelopment of the airport’s existing central area. Heathrow has said its runway and airfield plan would be privately funded at a cost of £21 billion.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is reviewing the plans so that a review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) can begin later this year. The ANPS will provide the basis for decision-making on any development consent order application.
Heathrow owner’s own plan for expansion and M25 tunnel
Heathrow Airport’s own plans for a 3,500-metre third runway would mean an additional 276,000 flights per year, from 480,000 today to 756,000. The M25 motorway would need to be moved into a tunnel under the new runway.
The new route would potentially see the M25 being rerouted between Junction 14 and Junction 15, which connects the motorway to the M4. The illustration, shown below, depicts the major road passing under the proposed runway on the north side of the airport site. Proposed areas for new passenger facilities, expanded terminals and new car parking areas are also included in the graphic.
Heathrow also wants to create new terminal capacity for 150 million annual passengers, up from 84 million currently. This would involve a new terminal complex named T5XW and T5XN, extending Terminal 2, and demolishing Terminal 3 and the old Terminal 1.
Heathrow said its runway and airfield plan would be privately funded at a cost of £21 billion. It attributed the increase from its estimate of £14 billion in 2018 to “construction inflation”. The total plan, including terminals and supporting infrastructure, would be expected to cost £49 billion.
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