February 27th 2025.
According to sources, Gatwick Airport's long-awaited expansion plan is on the verge of becoming a reality. The bustling London airport is set to receive a major boost, with its capacity expected to increase by 30 million passengers per year. This exciting news is expected to be officially announced by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander later this morning.
The expansion plan, which has been described as "shovel ready," will see the emergency runway at Gatwick Airport being permanently brought into use. This decision has been eagerly awaited, and Alexander has reportedly laid out a clear pathway for the approval of the project. The planning application for this ambitious development includes the addition of 100,000 departure flights from the airport in West Sussex.
If all goes according to plan, work on the £2.2 billion project could commence in the near future. This will involve moving the emergency runway 39 feet north, allowing for simultaneous use of the main airstrip and the emergency runway. As part of the expansion, both terminals at Gatwick will also undergo renovations, and existing taxiways will be reshaped.
Similar to the controversial expansion at Heathrow Airport, the funding for this project will be provided by private investors, without the use of taxpayer money. This is a significant step towards relieving the strain on the UK's busiest airports and addressing the growing demand for air travel.
So, what happens next? According to Gatwick Airport, construction could potentially begin this year, with the first flights taking off by the end of the decade. This expansion is expected to significantly increase Gatwick's annual passenger numbers, from 45 million to an impressive 75 million. This is certainly an exciting time for Gatwick Airport and the millions of travelers who pass through its doors every year.
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