Delivering responsibly

We are committed to working closely with the Council for the Independent Scrutiny of Heathrow Airport (CISHA) and our engagement forums, like our Local Community Forum (LCF) to clarify our programme of stakeholder engagement with our local communities and authorities around the airport. This will be set out in line with the Government’s timeframe and ensure communities have clear visibility of opportunities to engage with us on our plans. The consultation process for Heathrow expansion will be designed with the community at its heart, enabling them to understand the impacts and benefits of our plan. Publication of the draft ANPS by the Government is expected in summer 2026, and we anticipate the consultation process will begin towards the end of 2026.

The role of CISHA will be central in providing confidence to both communities and government that engagement and consultation remains credible, inclusive and fit for purpose throughout the planning and delivery phases.

The new UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) will take responsibility for designing the flight paths for an expanded Heathrow, as part of their wider airspace design of the London area. UKADS will have responsibility for taking a proposed airspace design to public consultation

Find out more about our forums and how you can stay involved:
Heathrow Community Forums

There are key regulatory and policy decisions that are expected from the Government and CAA in 2026 that will determine if Heathrow can proceed with expansion. We will continue to engage with local communities over the coming weeks and months. Once policy decisions have been made, Heathrow will hold a public consultation, giving everyone the opportunity to have their say and Heathrow will submit a Development Consent Order (DCO). 

Air quality around Heathrow has improved steadily over the past decade, with monitored levels of key pollutants down by up to 39% since 2014 and below regulated guidelines. Our new action plan outlines actions we are taking towards our goals, including incentivising aircraft with lowest contribution to air pollution through the charges airlines pay to use the airport.

Cleaner air is an essential part of how we protect health, meet our commitments, and ensure Heathrow continues to operate responsibly.

Read the full plan: Clean air at and around the airport

Expansion must be delivered in full compliance with legal air quality limits and we completely agree with that requirement. We must demonstrate through our application for development consent that Heathrow expansion will not cause or contribute to any breach of legal limits, including national objectives set under the UK Air Quality Strategy and the Environment Act. We will continue to invest in clean technology and sustainable transport to reduce road traffic and ensure that expansion does not compromise air quality or worsen local pollution; and we will submit a detailed air quality assessment as part of the planning process which will be independently reviewed. As a responsible business working alongside our local communities and committed to being a good neighbour, local air quality is a critical issue for us.

The ANPS requires us to show that expansion will not undermine the ability of the Government to meet its carbon reduction targets - which focus on delivering net zero by 2050 at the latest, in line with our own commitment. We will meet that requirement, as economic growth cannot come at the expense of the environment. 

Expansion can only go ahead if it meets strict rules on noise.  Heathrow expansion will be delivered alongside limiting and, where possible, reducing Heathrow’s noise impact, achieved through a combination of quieter aircraft, improved flight procedures and operational flexibility enabled by the third runway.  We already have a strong track record of reducing noise impacts through a combination of quieter aircraft, improved flight procedures, targeted noise mitigation measures, and operational restrictions.

A new package of insulation and compensation measures will also support affected homes, schools and community facilities, building on the current programme which you can read more about here: Residential Insulation Scheme

We will continue to work with local groups to manage our noise impact, focusing on tackling the negative effects of noise.

We take our responsibilities to the local community seriously. We will engage constructively and openly throughout this process to understand concerns and provide accessible information. We understand the impact uncertainty can have on mental health, and we are committed to providing certainty about specific details and timelines as soon as we can.

Expansion will only proceed if it meets strict noise regulations. It is too early in the planning process for us to confirm specific details of the number of operations within the night period (23:00-07:00) but this will be determined through the development of our DCO proposals.  As part of our expansion plans, we will meet all the ANPS requirements including delivering clear and predictable periods of respite from noise for overflown communities through runway alternation and adhering to night flight restrictions.

The new runway would allow all three runways to alternate between arrivals, departures and mixed mode while retaining full capacity. This flexibility is central to providing predictable periods of respite for communities affected by aircraft noise. This respite could only be delivered by a runway that allows for full operations.

The Development Consent Order (DCO) and the CAA’s airspace change process are separate consenting processes. The DCO is the process by which we will seek consent for a new runway and increase in aircraft movements, and that process will take account of both environmental and operational requirements. The CAA’s CAP 1616 process is for changes to the airspace design and flight paths. 

For Heathrow expansion, the Secretary of State for Transport will ultimately decide whether to grant the DCO by considering it against the requirements of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) and the recommendations of the Planning Inspectorate. 

The published ANPS is clear that an ‘indicative’ airspace design can be used to undertake a noise assessment for the DCO. 

The UK Airspace Design Service (‘UKADS’) will lead the design of airspace for the London region, including the flight paths required for Heathrow expansion. We expect to work with UKADS on the development of the design. The CAA will decide whether to grant the ACP, although there are criteria for the Secretary of State to potentially ‘call in’ the ACP to take the decision.  

For both the DCO and the ACP, there will be (separate) public consultations where all stakeholders can have their say on the proposals.

Heathrow expansion would mean significant improvements to the public transport network around the airport. Our Surface Access Strategy, which will deliver a sustainable and affordable transport network, will reduce air pollution and traffic and make it easier for passengers and colleagues to travel to work and for members of our local community to travel around.  

We will expand the Public Transport Interchange within the Central Terminal Area to improve access to public transport across the airport, ensuring that an increased number of passengers is matched by high-capacity, low-carbon travel options. The interchange will support new types of vehicles and routes and accommodate a wider range of public transport options so we can encourage passengers and colleagues to travel to the airport in a sustainable way.

We will also build a new Southern Road Tunnel, linking the Southern Perimeter Road to the Central Terminal Area. This will provide an additional point of access to the Central Terminal Area, significantly improving resilience and enabling dedicated bus and coach services. Bus priority lanes in the new Southern Road Tunnel will unlock previously unviable services, particularly for communities south of the airport. These improvements will significantly increase speed, frequency and reliability for travel to Heathrow by bus.

A full assessment of the likely construction impacts of a new runway will be undertaken as our proposals are developed; we will continue to engage with communities and stakeholders to refine proposals and reduce impact on communities. 

As set out in the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), Heathrow is required to assess the impacts of construction on network capacity and show that all reasonable steps to mitigate these impacts have been taken. Mitigation measures for the construction stage will draw on best practice and will include the development of a construction traffic management plan, the management of workforce movements, the selection of appropriate construction fleet, and freight consolidation, amongst other items. Heathrow will work proactively with its construction partners to ensure efficient delivery that minimises impacts; appropriate Construction Management Plans will be developed that set out how contractors will communicate with local communities throughout the construction phase. 

The ANPS supports the development of a Community Compensation Fund (CCF), which aims to minimise impacts on local communities. The fund could be used to support local infrastructure and community facilities, environmental enhancements and support for local businesses. The CCF was shaped by consultation and aligned with community priorities and will be reviewed with input from the community and other stakeholders to ensure it is suitable.

We will engage with local communities to listen and gain insight into how we can support communities where their facilities have been displaced as a result of our expansion proposals.