The Airports Commission recommends a third runway at London Heathrow

The long-awaited decision paves the way for an expansion that could add 70,000 jobs and provide a £147 billion GVA boost to the UK economy over 60 years. The government will make a decision on whether to implement the recommendation in due course.

Sir Howard Davies’ report concluded that a third runway at Heathrow was preferable over the two other proposals; a second runway at London Gatwick and the extension of one of Heathrow’s current runways.

The £17 billion project will grow Heathrow’s capacity, adding 250,000 flights a year. The recommendation comes with measures attached designed to reduce the impact on local residents, including a ban on night flights between 11.30pm and 6.00am, a legally binding ‘noise envelope’ putting limits on the level of noise created by the airport and a firm commitment from the government that there will be no fourth runway.

Local economies close to Heathrow will feel the benefits of a third runway, which is why a group known as the ‘Western Wedge’ has taken a keen interest in the expansion plans. The Western Wedge area includes four Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas – Buckinghamshire Thames Valley, Enterprise M3, Oxfordshire and Thames Valley Berkshire - as well as the part of London covered by West London Business. This area is one of the most productive parts of the UK, generating approximately 10% of the UK’s economic output.

Heathrow directly supports one in every 20 jobs and produces £6.2 billion of economic activity in the Western Wedge. An economic assessment commissioned by the Western Wedge partners in 2013, concluded that by 2040 an expanded Heathrow would add 35,000 jobs and £3.5 billion of GVA to the area, along with productivity benefits worth up to £300million a year.

The report highlighted benefits of an expanded Heathrow on the Western Wedge area, including:

  • the expansion of air destinations, both additional short haul connections to the rest of Europe and new routes to emerging markets where, in some instances, Heathrow has relatively poor connections
  • adding greater weight to the case for transport improvements in and around the Heathrow area, which can improve business productivity to the tune of £300m a year by increasing frequency and reliability of connections.


Alex Pratt OBE, Chair of the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley LEP commented: “An increase in air capacity is critical to trade and to our future growth and prosperity. Buckinghamshire Thames Valley LEP is delighted that a solution to increasing the capacity needs for London, the South East and the national economy as a whole has come a step closer today. Seeing the full benefits of this investment will require connected road and rail infrastructure to also be prioritised in national investment plans.”

Read the Economic Impact Study commissioned by the Western Wedge here >

Read the Airports Commission’s final report here >

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