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Work is now set to start on bringing the standby northern runway at Gatwick into full operational use, increasing capacity from 280,000 flights a year to around 389,000 by the late 2030s.

The £2.2bn project is privately financed and shovel-ready, the airport says.

Central to the expansion is repositioning the centre line of the northern runway 12 metres north to allow dual runway operations, aligning with international safety standards.

The plans also include extensions to both terminals and a new pier to park aircraft. It is also extending an existing pier and building flyovers to separate local and airport road traffic, to reduce congestion. The five-year programme includes new passenger facilities, car parking, offices and hotels.

Gatwick submitted its development consent order application to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2023, which in turn submitted its report to the secretary of state for transport on 27th November 2024. In February transport secretary Heidi Alexander has said she was “minded to approve” the plans subject to noise mitigation measures being developed. These issues have now been settled to her satisfaction and development consent has been granted.

It may be some time before construction actually starts, however, given the odds of legal challenges. Lee May, a partner at law firm DMH Stallard and a specialist in UK planning law, said: “Those opposed to the airport’s expansion now have a six week window of opportunity to challenge the development consent order in the High Court. The project has faced significant opposition from environmental campaigners and some local residents, with concerns being expressed around how the proposal fits in with the government’s commitment to minimising carbon emissions and the impact on local residents through noise, air pollution and additional traffic generation. So, it is possible that legal challenges will be brought.

“Given the national significance of the project, any legal challenge will be given high priority by the court, the airport operators and the government will hope for a speedy resolution. But with the possibility of further appeals to the Court of Appeal and eventually to the Supreme Court it may be many months before a final decision is reached and work can get under way.”

Gatwick Airport is owned 50.01% by Frecnh construction group Vinci and 49.99% by Global Infrastructure Partners, an American infrastructure investment fund.

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