During a speech at Siemens in Oxfordshire, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves confirmed that a decision will soon be made on the expansion plans at London Gatwick and Luton airports.
This announcement was made alongside Reeves’ assertion that the government is backing the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport to support economic growth.
Meanwhile, Reeves promised that Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is also expected to take a decision on Gatwick’s Northern Runway plan and Luton’s proposed expansion.
The latter of these projects was recently met with a three-month delay to the deadline for deciding on the Development Consent Order (DCO) application, marking the third delay in the decision-making process.
Alongside these potential projects, Reeves has also revealed a new partnership between global logistics firm Prologis and East Midlands Airport to develop an advanced manufacturing park within the East Midlands Freeport. The project is expected to generate £1 billion in investment and create 2,000 jobs.
This follows the government’s recent approval of previously delayed expansion plans at London City Airport, allowing it to accommodate up to nine million passengers annually by 2031, and a £1.1 billion investment at Stansted Airport to expand its terminal and add 5,000 jobs.
