Gatwick clears legal hurdle to bring second runway into full operation

Gatwick Airport has cleared what may prove the final legal hurdle in bringing its northern runway into routine operational use after the Court of Appeal dismissed an application to appeal against a High Court ruling in June that the airport’s expansion could go ahead.

 

Campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) took legal action against the Department for Transport over transport secretary Heidi Alexander’s decision to approve the £2.2 billion expansion plans last September, arguing the government did not properly assess the climate impact of the scheme.

 

The High Court dismissed the action in June and the Court of Appeal yesterday (August 4) ruled out an appeal, describing the original ruling as “neither illogical nor contradictory”.

 

The expanded runway is expected to see the first flights take off from 2030 and, once fully operational, could allow for an additional 100,000 flights a year, boosting Gatwick’s annual passenger numbers by 13 million.

 

The government expects the expansion to create 14,000 new jobs in the region and generate £1 billion a year in economic benefits.

 

In a statement welcoming the decision, Alexander described the ruling as a “major milestone” for the airport and local communities.

 

She noted: “Around 13 million more passengers and 100,000 more flights will give holidaymakers greater choice and strengthen global links to help make the UK one of the most attractive places in the world to invest.

 

“We’ll back expansion that supports growth and our climate goals.”

 

Gatwick chief executive Pierre-Hugues Schmit welcomed the appeal ruling, saying: “Today’s Court of Appeal decision to comprehensively reject the legal challenges brought by the campaign groups opposing London Gatwick’s Northern Runway Project confirms yet again that the September 2025 decision by the Secretary of State to approve the Northern Runway Project was taken properly and lawfully.

 

“We are very pleased that this ruling brings to an end an eight-year planning and legal process which has carefully tested and scrutinised every aspect of our expansion plans on multiple occasions.

 

“The Northern Runway project will deliver significant business, tourism and trade benefits for the UK. This final ruling means we can now press on with the job of bringing this exciting project to life and move forward into the design and delivery phase. We will announce further details in due course.”

 

Trade body Airports UK also welcomed the verdict, hailing the decision as a boost for UK connectivity and infrastructure.

 

Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK, said: “The Court of Appeal’s decision to dismiss all the challenges to Gatwick’s Northern Runway Project is excellent news and will now allow the airport to get on and deliver the project.

 

“The economic benefits of this scheme will run to billions of pounds and lead to the creation of thousands of jobs, boosting opportunities right across the region and the UK more widely.

 

“It will also help ensure the UK retains its reputation as a global leader in world-class infrastructure, providing easy, sustainable, competitive and resilient access to and from the whole world.”

 

Muniya Barua, deputy chief executive of London business group BusinessLDN, added that the ruling provides “welcome certainty” for firms, investors and communities.

 

She said: “With the UK seeking to drive investment and growth, expanding aviation capacity is a vital part of maintaining London’s position as a leading global city.”

 

However, Cagne described the Court of Appeal ruling as “deeply disappointing”, claiming it was “a reflection of recent changes to the legal process”.

 

In a statement, the campaign group accused the government of “failing to take a balanced approach to airport expansion” when Gatwick imposes “significant costs on local authorities, communities and the environment”.

 

It insisted: “We firmly believe the judges understood the serious environmental impacts at stake. [But] the legal process provides only specific routes for challenging a government error in judgement. This proposed new runway will come at a significant cost to the taxpayer and the planet.”

 

Cagne warned: “We will use the remaining funds raised to continue holding Gatwick to account. Our focus will turn to the proposed new terminal, the decline in air quality and the airspace changes that were not considered as part of this planning application.”

 

Ministers reiterated that any future airport expansion – including a potential third runway at Heathrow – remains subject to strict conditions regarding air quality, carbon emissions and noise limits.

 

Alongside the ruling, the government highlighted a £219 million funding allocation to scale up domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), alongside £43 million dedicated to advancing hydrogen-powered and electric flight technologies.