Things are changing at London Heathrow. The UK's biggest airport is about to begin a multi-billion pound renovation which will add 10 football pitches worth of new retail and lounge space, and it's set to get a new runway by 2035. While we wait for all that, however, British Airways (BA) has announced new routes out of the airport next summer.
Ministers have backed a plan for a third runway at Heathrow to be in operation by 2035 as they opted for the longer, costlier runway drawn up by the airport's owners as the basis for its expansion. The 33bn scheme for a 2.2-mile (3.5km) north-western runway crossing the M25 motorway was picked in preference as the most credible and deliverable option, ahead of a rival plan submitted by the Arora Group.
The airport's owners want to build a full-length 3,500m (2.2-mile) runway, which would involve diverting the M25, while Arora Group is seeking permission for a 2,800m runway, negating the need to move the motorway. A decision on which developer will build Heathrow's third runway is due by the end of the month. In the summer, Heathrow Airport revealed its 49bn plans to build a third runway and accompanying infrastructure, including a new road tunnel under the airport, and widening the M25 motorway between junctions 14 and 15.