Heathrow Airport has said its proposed third runway could be delayed until 2039, four years later than its original target of 2035.
The airport, which is the UK’s busiest, said meeting the 2035 timetable would be difficult under the current planning process. It argued that the process would need to be simplified if the earlier target is to remain achievable.
The potential delay concerns Heathrow’s plans for a third runway. The airport has not said that the 2039 date is final, but has indicated that it may become the revised timetable.
The statement places the planning process at the centre of the schedule. Without changes to simplify the process, Heathrow says the project may take longer than originally expected.
The latest position is therefore that the third runway could be delivered by 2039 rather than 2035, although the timetable remains dependent on how the planning process develops.
