Heathrow to Open Public Consultation on Third Runway Plans in Late October

Heathrow Airport said it will launch a public consultation on its third runway expansion proposals in late October, the next formal step in a process the UK government wants to conclude with a final planning decision in 2029.

Consultation details

The airport’s media centre posted the consultation announcement on 28 September, inviting the local community to take part. Trade reports state that the exercise will run for eight weeks, from 27 October to 22 December 2026, and include around 20 public events in towns and villages near the airport.

The consultation is expected to publish more detail on how the scheme would meet strict tests on carbon emissions, noise levels and air quality if expansion goes ahead. Those tests are central to the government’s conditions for the project, which also cover employment and climate compatibility.

Where the policy process stands

The consultation follows a separate government exercise. The Department for Transport consulted on a revised national policy statement for Heathrow expansion, with responses due by 1 September 2026. That document sets the planning framework against which Heathrow’s eventual application would be judged, and the government has positioned the work as a milestone toward a final planning decision in 2029.

The government has also said the scheme would involve private financing, with the airport and its investors bearing the cost, while meeting air quality, noise and climate obligations. In an earlier stage, ministers selected Heathrow Airport Limited’s proposal to advance over alternative schemes.

Industry press summaries in early September referred to projections of more than 108,000 jobs associated with the expansion, but the airport has not tied that figure to the consultation materials.

Why it matters

A third runway at Heathrow has been debated for decades, and several earlier plans stalled over cost, legal challenges and environmental objections. This round is intended to move more quickly: the government is reviewing the policy statement and Heathrow is preparing the application in parallel, rather than one after the other.

For airlines, additional runway capacity would relieve one of the most slot-constrained airports in the world and could open room for new routes and more competition. For residents and environmental groups, the consultation is the first opportunity to examine the detailed mitigation proposals, including how the airport proposes to limit noise and emissions as traffic grows.

What comes next

Responses to the consultation will inform the final design that Heathrow submits for development consent. The planning examination, any parliamentary steps and legal challenges would follow, and construction could not start until consent is granted.

The airport has so far not published the full set of consultation documents, so key details such as the proposed runway location, the funding structure and the phasing of terminal work are expected to become clearer when the consultation opens. Airlines, particularly those with large slot holdings, are expected to comment on proposed airport charges.