LONDON: London's Heathrow Airport on Friday unveiled a £49-billion ($65 billion) expansion plan, including the costs of building a long-awaited third runway, approved by the UK government after years of legal wrangling.
The runway would cost £21 billion, with flights expected to take off within a decade, while the rest of the privately-funded investment will go toward expanding and modernising the airport.
Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport by passenger numbers, said the expansion would provide at least 30 new daily routes, more domestic connections and improved flight times. The increased capacity would almost double the number of annual passengers from 84 million currently to up to 150 million passengers annually.
"It has never been more important or urgent to expand Heathrow," said CEO Woldbye. "We are effectively operating at capacity to the detriment of trade and connectivity," he added.
Despite fierce opposition from environmentalists and local residents, London mayor Sadiq Khan and some Labour MPs, the Labour government backed the new runway in January in a bid to boost UK economic growth.
The runway would cost £21 billion, with flights expected to take off within a decade, while the rest of the privately-funded investment will go toward expanding and modernising the airport.
Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport by passenger numbers, said the expansion would provide at least 30 new daily routes, more domestic connections and improved flight times. The increased capacity would almost double the number of annual passengers from 84 million currently to up to 150 million passengers annually.
"It has never been more important or urgent to expand Heathrow," said CEO Woldbye. "We are effectively operating at capacity to the detriment of trade and connectivity," he added.
Despite fierce opposition from environmentalists and local residents, London mayor Sadiq Khan and some Labour MPs, the Labour government backed the new runway in January in a bid to boost UK economic growth.
You may also like
Qatar boosts green mobility with 300+ fast EV chargers that charge up to 80% in just 30 mins
Army Officer Allegedly Attacks SpiceJet Employees over Excess Cabin Baggage in Srinagar (WATCH)
'I lost 16st in a year by doing two things - and neither was a skinny jab'
Antler's sale axes 'biggest carry-on' cabin bags for Jet2 and Ryanair flyers by £75
Guacamole tastes even better if 1 basic ingredient is added to avocados
