Fleur Anderson, Labour member for Putney – which sits under the Heathrow flightpath – last year led a parliamentary debate in which she said a third runway would subject Londoners to unacceptable levels of noise and air pollution, presenting a “serious health issue”.
The Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (Hacan) says it is concerned that Labour’s decision to allow the expansion of London City, while retaining a weekend curfew, could influence its approach going forward.
Hacan chairman John Stewart says: “I’m wondering if there are the beginnings of a blueprint here. I’m not sure Labour have really thought through airports and this might shape their thinking.”
Parliament approved construction of a third runway in 2018, only for the Court of Appeal to rule that a government decision to permit the expansion failed to address requirements related to climate change.
That ruling was later overturned in the Supreme Court, paving the way for Heathrow to press ahead with its plans. However, with the world in the grip of Covid, the airport suggested that it might not require a third runway for another 10 or 15 years.
A swift rebound in demand led the airport to change its tune, however, and chief executive Thomas Woldbye said last month that he was preparing fresh proposals for the third runway and “looking forward to working with ministers to ensure we are firing on all cylinders”.
The airport attracted 82.2m passengers in the 12 months through July, surpassing its record annual tally, set in 2019, by 1.3m.
Heathrow said that while its focus is on optimising existing infrastructure to add capacity, a third runway is strategically important and critical for the UK’s economic success.
A spokesman said: “We are currently looking at how best we can take the project forward. We’re reviewing our plans internally and will make a public decision in due course. Given the significance of the project, it’s important we take our time to get it right.”
Meanwhile, Gatwick, one of the world’s two busiest single-runway airports, is moving ahead with its bid to turn a strip currently used as a taxiway into a fully-fledged runway.
A six-month public examination of the plan ends next week, with the Government expected to make a decision early in 2025. Construction could start later in the year and the new runway would be ready for use by the end of the decade.
A spokesman said the plan would lift annual capacity to 75m passengers by the end of the 2030s, from less than 50m now, generating 14,000 jobs and providing a £1bn annual boost to the economy.
Labour has said any airport expansion plans must meet conditions regarding air and noise pollution and carbon emissions in order to make the grade, as well as delivering countrywide economic growth.