Heathrow Airport's third runway may be delayed to 2039

Heathrow Airport says its planned third runway could be delayed by four years because of planning and regulatory hurdles. The government had targeted an opening in 2035 for the UK’s busiest airport expansion, estimated at £49bn, but Heathrow now believes that date is increasingly difficult to meet. On Saturday, the airport said it hopes to secure planning permission by 2029 and then open the runway “within a decade.” The Department for Transport described the timeline as “always been ambitious” and said it will work with stakeholders “at pace.” Heathrow maintains its “core scenario” remains opening within a decade after permissions. The project faces strong opposition from environmental groups and local residents and could require demolishing hundreds of homes, rerouting the M25 between junctions 14 and 15, and diverting rivers. Flights capped at 480,000 annually could rise to 720,000.