Traffic could be rerouted via a tunnel if the airport’s plans are approved
British Airways’ boss believes Heathrow Airport should be expanded without moving the M25 if possible. Sean Doyle, the airline’s chief executive, said he “canāt argue against the logic” of building a third runway at the West London airport without diverting the major road.
The Government is considering two proposals to expand Heathrow, with one rerouting the motorway between Junction 14 and Junction 15 via an underground tunnel. This idea has been put forward by Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited, the airport’s owners, as part of a bid to build a full-length 3,500-metre runway.
The other, from the Arora Group, involves creating a 2,800-metre runway, negating the need to move the motorway. Speaking at the Airlines 2025 conference in Westminster, Mr Doyle said: “If you can avoid moving the M25, you should avoid moving the M25. I canāt argue against the logic of that. I think we should look at ways of potentially building a shorter runway.”
At the same event, Heathrowās chief executive Thomas Woldbye insisted moving the M25 is “not avoidable” if a third runway is to be built which provides the necessary boost to capacity. He said a shorter runway would cost “almost the same” but deliver “much less capacity”. Mr Woldbye added: “It just does not make sense.”
What could Heathrow Airport expansion look like?
Heathrow Airport previously confirmed the underground tunnel would be build to the west of the current motorway. A map released in February shows how this could look:
The illustration depicts traffic passing under the proposed runway on the north side of the airport site. It also shows new passenger facilities, expanded terminals and additional car parking areas.
The map shows potential disruption to other roads in the area, including the A4.
Rachel Reeves confirmed her backing of the third runway in January, claiming the case for the expansion was now ‘stronger than ever’. Heathrow’s plans would enable an additional 276,000 flights per year, from 480,000 today to 756,000.
The total plan, including terminals and supporting infrastructure, would be expected to cost Ā£49 billion. The Arora Group said it’s 2,800-metre runway would result in “reduced riskā and avoid “spiralling cost”.
The applicants behind both expansion proposals were asked by the Government to provide further details of their plans, relating to the impacts for investors, affected communities and businesses.
By the end of this month, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will announce the single scheme being taken forward to inform the remainder of her review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which will provide the framework for making decisions on airport growth.
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