Heathrow Airport's third runway delayed for four years until 2039

Heathrow Airport's third runway has been delayed by four years and won’t be ready until 2039.

The airport's bosses are understood to have told ministers that the current 2035 deadline is not possible.

It was set by then-chancellor Rachel Reeves in January last year and was considered ambitious at the time.

It will likely come as a blow to Prime Minister Andy Burnham's hopes of using the project to help grow the UK economy, and comes on the eve of Labour's annual conference in Liverpool.

Ms Reeves believed the project could help kickstart growth and announced the government was backing a third runway, which it believed could create 100,000 jobs.

Heathrow, the largest and busiest of the UK's airports, aims to get planning permission by 2029, and has always considered building the new runway within a decade to be a reasonable goal.

Its bosses believe it could be delivered more quickly, but that this may require further regulatory red tape to be removed beyond reforms that the government has already made to planning law.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: "It's right that ambitious targets were set; the sooner expansion begins, the sooner the whole UK will benefit. Our focus has always been to secure planning permission by 2029.

"Once achieved, the runway will be open within a decade - and the benefits of expansion can be felt from today. At least 108,000 new jobs and billions invested in supply chains in every part of the country.

"This is a national project, 100% privately financed, which will support growth today and secure the UK's position in the global economy once the runway opens."

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A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "There is currently no live planning application for a third runway, and we cannot comment on ongoing consultation processes or prejudice them in a way that will only delay progress.

"The timeline has always been ambitious.

"We'll continue to work with promoters, including Heathrow, and all other stakeholders at pace to ensure the right framework is in place for which a planning application for a third runway could be considered."

(c) Sky News 2026: Heathrow Airport's third runway delayed for four years until 2039