Court of Appeal clears legal hurdle for Gatwick expansion

Gatwick Airport has cleared the final legal obstacle to its £2.2 billion expansion after the Court of Appeal dismissed a challenge from environmental campaigners on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. The ruling allows work to proceed on transforming the airport’s existing emergency northern runway into a fully operational second runway, with the first flights expected in 2030.

The court’s decision upholds a previous High Court ruling from June and ends a long-running legal battle. Campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) and local resident Peter Barclay had argued that the government failed to properly assess the project’s environmental impact, including its effect on national climate targets. Both courts rejected the arguments, with the Court of Appeal concluding the grounds for appeal were “unarguable” and had “no realistic prospect of success.”

The expansion, approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander in September 2025, involves moving the standby runway 12 metres north, reconfiguring taxiways, and expanding terminal buildings to support dual-runway operations. The project is projected to add approximately 100,000 flights annually, increasing passenger...