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London Heathrow's new £10billion airport plans include fewer flight delays and massive central terminal makeover

London Heathrow's new £10billion airport plans include fewer flight delays and massive central terminal makeover

The Sun10-07-2025
LONDON Heathrow has revealed its latest multi-billion upgrade plans for the airport.
Under a new five year plan for 2027 to 2031, Heathrow Airport will open a number of new lounges, shops and restaurants within the existing terminals.
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For passengers this means there will be additional spaces equal to the size of 10 football pitches to explore.
And the airport aims to lose less luggage, with 99 per cent of bags travelling with passengers.
Flight delays may also be reduced with Heathrow setting out to have 80 per cent of its flights depart on time.
In the airport passengers may have less wait times too, as the airport hopes to have 95 per cent of passengers waiting less than five minutes at security.
Once complete, the airport hopes to be able to serve 10million additional passengers a year.
Heathrow is also planning the redevelopment of the Central Terminal Area - which will involve demolishing Terminal 1, extending Terminal 2 and building a new southern road tunnel to improve access to the airport.
According to the airport, Heathrow is the most punctual major airport in Europe this year.
And as the airport continues to grow, it will also focus on becoming more sustainable by doing things such as providing noise insulation to 6,500 homes.
The airport also aims to work with one million people in the local area with programmes developing skills by 2030.
Heathrow's airport charge will also remain low.
This fee is what airlines have to pay to use the airport - and the airlines then usually pass some of this cost onto passengers as part of ticket prices.
With the airport charge remaining low, ticket prices will stay in line with this.
Overall, Heathrow hopes these changes will help to get 95 per cent of passengers rating their journey as 'good' or 'excellent'.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said: "We're making good progress on our strategy to become an extraordinary airport – having become Europe's most punctual major airport so far this year."
Heathrow Airport has also received a 'once-in-a-generation investment' that will see capacity increase in terminals.
The plans include increasing the number of aircraft and flight routes.
Proposals for a third runway are due to be submitted this summer too, following support from the chancellor.
If plans are approved, Heathrow aims to have the third runway operational by 2035.
Chancellor supports new runways at two UK airports
CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves has supported plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport and also backed the full-time use of a second runway at Gatwick Airport.
Plans to introduce an additional runway at Heathrow Airport have been debated for decades.
Back in June 2018, the UK Parliament voted in favour of introducing a third runway at the airport.
The Court of Appeal ruled the government's approval unlawful in 2020 because it did not meet the country's commitments to climate change under the Paris Agreement.
Later that year, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling, allowing the project to continue.
Reeves' support is part of a wider plan to boost the country's economic growth by increasing airport capacity in the southeast of England.
The Chancellor is also set to support the full-time use of a second runway at Gatwick Airport.
At present, Gatwick uses its second runway to taxi aircraft and in emergency situations.
Plans to bring the second runway into full-time use were submitted in 2023, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander due to make a decision on the plans.
A new huge airport terminal is also set to open in Europe's best value country as part of £210million renovation.
Plus, a first look at major UK airport's £1.3billion makeover with new modern terminal and first Wetherspoons.
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