Heathrow third runway pushed back to 2039, delaying promised job boost

Heathrow Airport’s third runway has been rescheduled to open in 2039, a four-year postponement from earlier expectations. The shift comes as Labour’s annual conference starts in Liverpool, challenging Andy Burnham’s pledge to drive economic growth through the project. Heathrow aims to secure planning permission by 2029 and maintains that the expansion will create at least 108,000 jobs and attract billions of investment across the country.

A Department for Transport spokesperson noted no formal planning application is currently live and emphasized the need for a suitable regulatory framework. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander reiterated commitment to net-zero targets, citing the Climate Change Committee’s warning that aviation must clean up its emissions before the runway proceeds. The government continues to back the privately financed scheme as a national priority, describing it as the UK’s “front door” for tourists from markets such as China and India.