“A national asset of supreme importance.” That’s @thetimes' view of Heathrow in its backing of our fully-privately financed expansion plans – highlighting 100,000 new jobs, a huge expansion in air cargo, and Heathrow’s unique role as the UK’s global hub airport. We agree with their conclusion: “Stasis is not an option for Heathrow”. Standing still in aviation, means going backwards. @HeathrowAirport is already full, and has been for decades. With expansion, the opportunity is huge: 🌍 More connections to the world – Expansion could increase flight capacity to 756,000 flights a year, creating opportunities for at least 30 new daily routes. ⬆️UK-wide growth – Expansion could contribute around £17bn a year to the UK economy, with a UK-wide supply chain, and around 60% of the economic benefits expected outside London and the South East. 💷 No taxpayer funding for expansion – The third runway, terminal upgrades and supporting infrastructure would be 100% privately financed, with no taxpayer money used to deliver them. 🧳 More competition and choice – New capacity would create opportunities for more airlines and greater competition. 🏗️ Proven delivery – We delivered Terminal 2 and Terminal 5 on time and on budget, alongside one of the world’s largest airport security upgrades. Read the full article ➡️ thetimes.com/comment/the-tim… And explore answers to commonly asked expansion questions ➡️ @

Who benefits from Heathrow expansion? The whole UK. Speaking to @BBCNews, Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye explains why expanding the UK’s only hub airport is a national growth opportunity 🌍 Around 60% of the economic benefit is expected to be felt outside London and the South East 📈 Expansion could contribute around £17bn to the UK economy every year ✈️ More capacity could strengthen domestic and global connectivity 🏗️ More opportunities for businesses through Heathrow’s UK-wide supply chain And there’s a strong foundation to build from: Heathrow’s existing supply chain includes more than 1,100 British businesses, with £2.3bn spent in 2025 alone. The opportunity starts on our doorstep too. More than 35,000 people working at @HeathrowAirport live in our nine local boroughs, while our direct spend with local SMEs exceeded £90m in 2024. Expansion isn’t just about making Heathrow bigger. It’s about making the opportunities Heathrow creates reach further. The link to read the @BBCLondonNews article is in the comments below ⬇️

A stronger UK hub would mean better connections for regions and nations across the UK. ✈️🌍 Heathrow’s domestic routes already support nearly £1.2bn in tourism spending and open doors for British businesses to export to the world. But with Heathrow at capacity, there’s limited opportunity to grow those connections further. As @HeathrowAirport CEO Thomas Woldbye told MPs at today’s Transport Select Committee hearing, “As a hub, we are depending on feed from not only international airports, but also local airports, so it’s in the interest of both the airlines and the airport to have those connections coming from domestic airports.” That’s why expansion matters. Additional capacity at Heathrow could create new opportunities for regional airports and connect more parts of the UK into the 230 destinations served by the nation’s only hub airport. As Thomas put it: “We work with the regional airports and we are complementary to them, and additional capacity at Heathrow will mean additional opportunity for the regional airports.” Independent analysis from @FrontierEcon estimates new domestic routes could support an additional £335m in annual gross tourism spend. Read more here ➡️ heathrow.com/content/dam/hea… #UKGatewayToGrowth #DomesticConnectivity #HeathrowExpansion

How do you upgrade one of the UK's busiest motorways, the #M25, without bringing traffic to a standstill? That's one of the questions we hear most often about Heathrow expansion. The answer is surprisingly simple: Build the new section of the M25 away from the existing motorway, then switch traffic across when it's ready. Heathrow's plans would see a brand-new tunnel and bridges constructed 130 metres west of the current M25, allowing most of the work to happen offline and separate from day-to-day traffic. Rather than years of major disruption, traffic would transfer to the new route through carefully planned overnight closures. The result? ✅ A wider, safer stretch of the M25 at one of its busiest junctions ✅ Minimal disruption during construction ✅ A major upgrade to national infrastructure, 100% privately financed by Heathrow We've also looked extensively at alternatives. Options such as building over the M4 spur were assessed but would require significantly more demolition in local communities, and create greater disruption for both road and rail users during construction. Building airport infrastructure over major roads isn't unprecedented. It's already been successfully delivered at airports including Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle. The debate about expansion should be based on the facts. When it comes to the M25, Heathrow has a deliverable plan that improves one of the UK's most important transport corridors while keeping Britain moving. ⬇️ Watch the video below to see how the new M25 alignment would be delivered. #HeathrowExpansion #M25 #Infrastructure #Transport #EconomicGrowth #Aviation #UKInfrastructure #HeathrowAirport @HeathrowAirport #NationalHighways

How can Heathrow expansion help tackle youth unemployment and open doors? Lord David Blunkett joined @TimesRadio to discuss the Heathrow Infrastructure Skills Council, which held its inaugural meeting today in Birmingham to examine how major infrastructure can help tackle Britain's #NEET crisis. At a time when nearly one million young people are not in education, employment or training, the Council will hear directly from local employers, colleges, training providers and young people about how Heathrow expansion and other infrastructure projects can maximise opportunities for young people across the UK. Because Heathrow expansion isn't just about a new runway. It's about creating thousands of routes into work and building a skills legacy that benefits communities across the UK. Find out more about how Heathrow expansion could support local communities ➡️ heathrow.com/expansion/about…

September traffic figures demonstrate continued strong demand at Heathrow: 🌍 Almost 7.2 million passengers travelled through Heathrow and nearly 1.4 million of those were transfer passengers, highlighting the importance of our hub network in connecting UK regions with destinations around the world. 📦 Cargo volumes grew 5% in September year-on-year, underlining Heathrow's role as the UK's largest port by value. ✈️Demand for Heathrow continues to exceed available capacity, with more than 40 airlines seeking access to Heathrow. At the same time, support for expansion as a critical national infrastructure project continues to grow: ✅ Trade unions, business groups, regional airports, airlines, investors and an increasing number of politicians back the project ✅ Government analysis has confirmed expansion can be delivered within the UK's net zero commitments ✅ 68% of local residents support progressing expansion plans Expansion would unlock: ➡️ More than 100,000 jobs ➡️ £33 billion of private investment ➡️ 5,000 apprenticeships ➡️ 50% more cargo capacity for British exporters As Parliament considers the future of Heathrow expansion, the opportunity to strengthen the UK's global connections, drive investment and support growth across every nation and region has never been clearer. Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Heathrow, said: "There is now a clear path forward. The private investment is available, the benefits are well understood and the Government has confirmed expansion can be delivered within net zero targets. After decades of discussion, Parliament now has the opportunity to unlock a project that can deliver lasting benefits for generations to come. We are ready to deliver it." Read the full statement and find out more: mediacentre.heathrow.com/pre…

Growth doesn't happen by accident. It depends on the infrastructure that helps businesses connect, invest and compete. Something that CBI (Confederation of British Industry) and British Chambers of Commerce understand, as representatives of businesses across the country. Responding to the Shadow Chancellor's Party Conference speech, both BCC Director of Policy, Kate Shoesmith,​ and CBI Chief Policy and Campaigns Officer, John Foster​ highlighted Heathrow expansion as an important investment in the UK's future, linking major infrastructure projects to business confidence, competitiveness, and economic growth. As the UK's hub airport, Heathrow already helps connect every region of the UK to global markets. Expansion could help unlock even more trade, investment, jobs and opportunity for communities across the country. Find out how Heathrow expansion would support the UK’s economic growth ➡️ heathrow.com/expansion/about… @CBItweets @britishchambers #UKgatewaytogrowth

From Scottish salmon reaching customers worldwide to businesses winning contracts across the country, Heathrow already helps connect UK communities to global opportunity. Today, nearly £300 million of Scottish salmon exports by value travel through Heathrow, while our supply chain supports more than 1,100 British businesses through £2.3 billion of annual UK spend. Expansion could build on that foundation with £33 billion of private investment, strengthening trade, tourism, jobs and investment across the UK, without relying on taxpayers. Around 60% of the projected economic benefits are expected to be felt outside London and the South East. This isn't just about Heathrow. It's about helping more communities, businesses and regions connect to growth opportunities around the world. Find out how the UK economy can benefit from Heathrow expansion ➡️ heathrow.com/expansion/about…

#ExpansionExplained: Why does a hub airport matter? @HeathrowAirport's role as the UK's only hub airport is important. It helps provide: ✈️ More routes Pooling passengers from across the UK and beyond helps airlines operate flights to destinations that may not have enough demand from a single city alone. 🌍 Better global connections The hub model links UK regions to hundreds of destinations worldwide through a single network, supporting long-haul connectivity at a scale that other UK airports cannot deliver on their own. 📦 Support for trade Passenger aircraft also carry high-value cargo. As the UK's largest port by value, Heathrow helps British businesses connect with customers and markets around the world. 🗺️ Unique global links Heathrow serves more than 25 routes that are not available from other European hub airports, helping connect the UK with underserved markets around the world. 🏠 Stronger UK connectivity Expansion could create space for up to five additional domestic routes, improving connections between UK regions and the country's global gateway. These routes could generate around £335 million in additional annual tourism spend. ✨ Benefits across the UK Businesses, exporters, tourists and travellers from every nation and region can access global opportunities through the UK's hub airport. A strong hub airport and strong regional airports work together, helping connect communities across the UK to global destinations, trade and opportunity. Read more about Heathrow expansion FAQs ➡️ heathrow.com/expansion/faqs #UKGatewayToGrowth

Heathrow expansion is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create jobs, boost trade and unlock growth across the UK. From new opportunities for local communities to stronger connections for businesses nationwide, expansion will help deliver long-term economic benefits where they're needed most. As @GMBLondonRegion's Regional Secretary Warren Kenny says: "Local jobs. National benefit." #HeathrowExpansion #GatewayToGrowth #Jobs #Growth #Connectivity