Heathrow unveils new third runway options

Heathrow Airport has submitted three options for a new third runway to the Davies Commission, which is looking at raising airport capacity.

The airport argues that building a third runway at the hub would raise capacity from 480,000 flights each year to 740,000. It would also be the cheapest and quickest option to solve the capacity problems, instead of building a completely new airport.

Heathrow’s preferred option would be to place a new runway to the north-west or the south-west of the airport.

The Davies Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, was set up last year to examine “the need for additional UK airport capacity and recommend to government how this can be met in the short, medium and long term”.

It is expected to recommend options by the end of this year, but will not submit its final report until summer 2015.