Healey says the case for a third runway at Heathrow is a case for growth
The Chancellor, John Healey, has backed Heathrow expansion as a driver of growth, speaking at the IMF meeting in Bangkok on Friday, three weeks after the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, declined to support the third runway plan.
The Chancellor, John Healey, said on Friday that expanding Heathrow Airport would help drive growth, in a show of support for the third runway project after the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, refused to back the plans. Healey told reporters at the International Monetary Fund's annual meeting in Bangkok that the project was in line with the Government's central aim of strengthening the economy.
"The case for a third runway at Heathrow has always been a case for growth," he said.
Three weeks ago, Mr Burnham declined to support the plan and said the decision was a matter for people who live near the airport. He has since refused to confirm his support, saying the project is subject to a consultation and then the planning process, PA Media reported.
The case for a third runway at Heathrow has always been a case for growthJohn Healey, Chancellor of the Exchequer
The position marks a change from the Government led by Mr Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, which sought to settle the matter in 2025 by saying the expansion should go ahead. Labour's support for expansion was set out by the former chancellor, Rachel Reeves, in January 2025, PA Media reported.
Heathrow faces a lengthy planning process before any construction can begin. The airport said in September that a third runway may not open until 2039, four years later than forecast in an initial plan. PA Media reported that the airport aims to secure planning permission by 2029, and that Ms Reeves had suggested the runway could open in 2035, a timetable airport bosses have told ministers appears impossible to meet.
Earlier this week the airport's chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, urged the Prime Minister to back the project by the end of the year, warning that its shareholders could reassess the 33 billion pound plans if Mr Burnham does not give his commitment. Heathrow has said the expansion would unlock more than 100,000 jobs and 33 billion pounds of private investment across the UK, and that demand for access to the airport continues to exceed available capacity, with more than 40 airlines seeking slots.
Nearly 7.2 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in September, down 2.3 per cent from a year earlier, with traffic to the Middle East falling by about a fifth. Mr Woldbye said demand continues to outstrip capacity despite the fall in passenger numbers last month.
Businesses, airlines and investors have said the airport should expand, while some local residents have objected to the noise from more planes, and the country's climate targets could be at risk from adding thousands more flights, Reuters reported.
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