Q&A Why expansion is back on the agenda and what it will mean

Why is Heathrow's third runway back on the agenda?

- Gwyn Topham

The government has put big infrastructure at the heart of its strategy to kickstart economic growth and has vowed to make building easier. Few projects come as big, or at such an advanced stage of planning, as Heathrow's expansion. With record numbers of passengers, Europe's busiest airport is at capacity, and it has new owners with deep pockets who see an opportunity to invest.

Didn't it already get permission to build a runway?

Yes, more than once. The Conservatives overturned Heathrow's original plan, which was approved by Labour in 2009, before setting up an Airports Commission which found that a new runway was needed. The plans were voted through parliament in 2018, and were eventually upheld by the courts. But then Covid happened, passengers disappeared, and Heathrow never submitted a full planning application.

So are these new plans?