Heathrow investors to reassess runway plans by year-end

Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye says the airport’s investors will reassess plans for a third runway by the end of 2026 if the government does not provide greater certainty, as the project’s planning path remains unsettled. Woldbye told the Financial Times that shareholders had so far accepted delays but could not wait indefinitely. Investors are reportedly expected to decide in the new year whether to submit a formal planning application. No final investor decision has been announced. The Department for Transport said it was reviewing responses to a consultation and considering next steps on the airport policy framework. That framework provides a basis for decisions on a new runway. The government has not set out a final position on the project, and the remaining policy and planning steps mean expansion has not been approved. Heathrow reported 7.2 million passengers in September, 2.3% fewer than in the same month a year earlier. The airport attributed a 20.1% decline in traffic from the Middle East partly to the Iran war. It also reported year-on-year falls of 4% in UK passenger traffic and 1.2% in traffic from the European Union.