Gatwick Airport Expansion: Campaigners Fail to Halt Second Runway Plans

A judicial review application aiming to block Gatwick Airport's expansion, which involves repurposing its emergency runway for routine departures, has been rejected by the High Court. Judges found the campaigners' case 'unarguable', clearing a significant hurdle for the airport's plans to operate as a two-runway facility.

The expansion would see the airport's northern runway, currently reserved for emergencies, brought into full operational use, handling departing flights alongside the main runway. This transformation is projected to increase Gatwick's annual passenger capacity from 47 million to 75 million by 2038.

Critics argue that the development, estimated to cost £2.2 billion, would lead to heightened noise pollution for local residents and contribute substantially to carbon emissions, undermining climate commitments. Campaign group

Aircraft Noise Action Group (ANAG) had sought to challenge the Secretary of State for Transport's decision to permit the expansion to proceed without requiring a full development consent order.

Gatwick Airport maintains that the plans are essential for future growth and will create thousands of jobs, asserting that the project is a sustainable investment in regional infrastructure. The airport also states that the northern runway would primarily be used for departures, with arrivals continuing to use the main runway.