Community

We have a strong commitment to the communities around our airport and aim to address issues of prime local concern.

We also aim to create opportunities for local residents to enjoy their local airport – even those who don’t use it regularly – to make the most of the economic benefits such as training programmes and the creation of jobs for local people.

Heathrow is a catalyst for economic growth, making a huge contribution to the local and national economy. However, as owner and operator of the airport, we are also aware of the adverse effects that operations can have on some of our closest neighbours. We are committed to doing our utmost to minimise this impact while offering valuable support to the local community.

Our community relations programme includes a wide range of initiatives that encompass all three elements of sustainability: environment, social and economic. We also provide support in the form of the Heathrow Community Fund, staff volunteering and other resources, such as the sharing of professional skills and expertise, or the use of equipment and premises.

Engaging and communicating

We engage regularly with residents through our borough newspaper, resident meetings and the various different groups we have helped set up to provide local people with the opportunity to find out more about airport operations and our expansion plans.

The Local Focus Forum – a quarterly meeting that we host, made up of resident associations and local councillors from the villages bordering Heathrow. At the forum meetings, we share information about pending developments and operational impacts that might affect the local area. Meeting notes are available here
Heathrow Community Noise Forum – a group made up of local councillors and residents from 12 boroughs around Heathrow affected by noise from the airport. It seeks members’ inputs in the planning and communication of the modernisation of Heathrow’s airspace and to agree relevant studies and analysis to be carried out to establish historic changes to flight paths.
Heathrow Communtiy Engagement Board (HCEB)– The HCEB is a new independent body that has been established to give those who live, work and travel through Heathrow more influence over how the airport operates today and how it may grow in the future. In 2017 it was agreed that the Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee (HACC) would take on the additional responsibilities of the community engagement board, as set out in the Governments draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS).

Creating careers, not just jobs – so that the people who work at Heathrow can fulfil their potential

Good, local jobs are essential to people’s wellbeing, to strong, thriving communities and – of course – to the economy. As we look to the future of the UK economy, the more high quality jobs we can provide, the better.

Heathrow currently employs 76,000 people, 16,500 of whom live within five kilometres of the airport. Our Heathrow 2.0 strategy ensures this will continue, with a strong focus on enabling local people to work at the airport. Heathrow expansion will create up to 180,000 further opportunities across the country, and we plan to create 10,000 apprenticeships.

Of course, getting a job is one thing, but most people are looking for the chance to build a career and do work they can be proud of. Heathrow 2.0 has a strong focus on helping people find the right work at Heathrow and nurturing them so they can fulfil their potential. Our strategy expands the training and support we provide for our employees to become leaders in safety and wellbeing, and to adopt a proactive, innovative and sustainable approach to their daily work.

Heathrow 2.0, Heathrow’s sustainability leadership plan, has recently celebrated the anniversary of its launch. Read the full report on progress against the plan in the first year.

Our objectives:

Safe and well: A place where everyone can get to their destination and return home, safe and well.
Careers, Not just jobs: A place where anyone can reach their potential.
Culture of Sustainability: A place that lives and breathes sustainability.

Our flagship goals:

10,000 Apprenticeships (2030) will help people launch their careers.
Living wage accreditation 2017 will ensure everyone working at Heathrow can thrive.
Reflect local diversity at every level (2025) so that we can become a truly great place to work; fulfilling our potential as we help others fulfil theirs.

Sustainable growth

Download our full plan for sustainable growth.

Download PDF

Working better with our neighbours to improve quality of life

We want the area surrounding Heathrow to be a great place to live. Our proximity to London is a great advantage for flyers, but also means we are located close to many homes and local communities. We recognise that our local impact is significant, and we want to make sure it’s as positive as possible.

We have been working to reduce our negative impact for many years. For example, Heathrow is one of the world’s leading airports in noise management: even though the number of flights has increased significantly since the 1970s, Heathrow’s noise footprint has continuously reduced. Furthermore, thanks to technological improvements and improvements in public transport, monitoring stations in the immediate vicinity of Heathrow meet air quality standards.

While we recognise this progress, we also see the need for a step-change in how we improve local quality of life. Heathrow 2.0 is our plan for achieving this. It is grounded in the idea that we can only make a real difference by listening and talking to local people, and understanding their needs. That will allow us to build the long-term productive relationships that help local communities thrive and improve quality of life for all.

We know from previous stakeholder consultations just how important noise and air quality issues are, and these are priorities in our strategy. However, we also want to go beyond these key issues to support and enhance local communities in other ways, for example, by investing in community facilities, transport and green spaces.

Our objectives:

Respite For Residents: A place that’s getting quieter
Quality Air, Locally: A place where local air improves
Sustainable Communities: A place where local people shape their future

Our flagship goals:

As part of our voluntary Quiet Night Charter, by 2022 we seek to halve the number of flights on non-disrupted days that operate late after 11.30pm.
Airside ultra-low emissions zone by 2025 to improve quality of life through cleaner air.
50% airport passenger journeys made by public and sustainable transport by 2030, so local areas can thrive without increased congestion.