London Mayor Sadiq Khan has formally registered opposition to plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport through a joint submission from City Hall and Transport for London to the government’s draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement consultation. Khan contends that the strategic case for expansion is built on outdated evidence that does not align with current climate legislation and changing travel patterns in the post-pandemic era.
The submission raises multiple infrastructure and environmental concerns. City Hall estimates that additional flights could generate 60,000 extra daily highway trips, translating to 22 million additional road journeys annually on the M4 and M25 motorways. The mayor’s office also warns that a 58 percent increase in flights would reduce noise respite periods for local residents from 50 percent to 25 percent of the day. Capacity upgrades would be required for the Elizabeth and Piccadilly underground lines, alongside new southern and western rail connections, with estimated surface access costs reaching £9 billion and no existing funding agreement in place.
Heathrow Airport Limited counters that the expansion represents a critical economic growth opportunity for the country, projecting the creation of over 100,000 jobs and £150 billion in trade benefits. The airport’s leadership disputes many of the claims in the city’s submission and commits to implementing a privately-funded noise insulation scheme for affected homes. The airport also states it will present funded solutions for required public transport improvements as part of its planning process.
The mayor’s opposition is supported by a cross-party coalition of London and home counties council leaders including representatives from Wandsworth, Richmond, Kingston, and other boroughs. However, the Back Heathrow campaign asserts that local support for expansion exceeds 100,000 residents who view the project as essential for job creation and economic revitalization. The Department for Transport, which endorsed expansion under Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2025, indicated it would review all consultation responses before announcing next steps later this year, emphasizing that any expansion must comply with binding climate obligations and environmental standards on air quality and noise.
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