Gatwick expansion cleared for take-off after Court of Appeal northern runway ruling

London Gatwick Airport’s plan to bring its existing northern runway into routine use has taken another leap forward after it cleared a significant legal hurdle.

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday rejected a challenge from local campaigners that had threatened to delay the project, which promises to massively expand the number of flights able to serve the UK’s second busiest airport.

The ruling removes a significant obstacle to the expansion, which is intended to increase capacity and enable it to handle substantially more flights each year by having two runways operating in tandem.

Crucially, the Court of Appeal has refused campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) permission to appeal, which Gatwick and the UK government said would bring years of legal uncertainty to an end.

Under the plans, the airport will upgrade its existing northern runway so that it can be used for routine aircraft movements rather than primarily serving as a standby runway. Gatwick expects the expanded operation to begin in 2030.

Gatwick runway expansion to add 100,000 flights

The project is expected to increase Gatwick’s annual flight capacity by around 100,000 movements, expanding the range of destinations available from the Sussex airport.

Gatwick currently serves more than 200 destinations, with the additional capacity expected to allow airlines to add routes and increase frequencies. 

Pierre-Hugues Schmit, chief executive of the airport, said: “Today’s Court of Appeal decision to comprehensively reject the legal challenges brought by the two campaign groups opposing London Gatwick’s Northern Runway Project confirms, yet again, that the September 2025 decision by the Secretary of State for Transport to approve the Northern Runway Project was taken properly and lawfully. 

“We are also very pleased that this ruling, from senior Court of Appeal Judges, brings to an end an eight-year planning and legal process which has carefully tested and scrutinised every aspect of our expansion plans on multiple occasions.”

He added: “The Northern Runway project will deliver significant business, tourism and trade benefits for the UK, including 14,000 new jobs, a £1 billion boost to the economy every year and a comprehensive employment, skills and business strategy designed to bring maximum benefits to local people and the Gatwick region.   

“This final ruling means that we can now press on with the important job of bringing this exciting project to life and move forward into the design and delivery phase.”

Northern runway must be moved before it can open

The airport has been pursuing the northern runway project for several years as it seeks to increase capacity.

However, in order to realise that goal, first the northern runway’s centreline must be moved 12 metres north to meet safety standards, so it can be used alongside the airport’s main runway. 

Under the approved plan, the runway will be restricted to take-off operations for narrowbody aircraft, while landings will continue on the main runway. 

The £2.2 billion capital expenditure includes planned spending on the airfield, carparks, hangars and terminals, construction, and surface access. 

The project is fully funded by VINCI Airports, which holds a 50% stake in Gatwick Airport, with no public investment.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: ”This is a major milestone for Gatwick and for local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands of new jobs.

“Around 13 million more passengers and 100,000 more flights will give holidaymakers greater choice and strengthen global links to help make the UK one of the most attractive places in the world to invest.

“We’ll back expansion that supports growth and our climate goals. To drive forward sustainable change, we’re also investing over £219 million for green fuel production to cut emissions from flying and secure the future of aviation.”

Anti-expansion campaigners say ruling is ‘disappointing reflection of changes to legal process’

Campaign group CAGNE express a counter-view to the transport secretary

In a statement, a CAGNE spokesperson said residents should be “immensely proud” for “holding Gatwick Airport’s shareholders to account”, and warned that the proposed new runway would “come at a significant cost to both the taxpayer and the planet”.

They claimed that the Court of Appeal ruling was a “deeply disappointing reflection of recent changes to the legal process, rather than of the strength or commitment of our legal team”. 

The group added: “We firmly believed the judges understood the serious environmental impacts at stake, including the lack of sufficient sewerage treatment capacity to support an additional runway at this leisure airport.

“The legal process provides only specific routes for challenging a government error in judgement. As a result, we were unable to resubmit all the grounds that led the Planning Inspectorates to recommend refusal of this new runway application through the planning development consent order.”

CAGNE added that their focus and remaining funds would be turned towards the proposed new terminal, air quality issues, and airspace changes.