Gatwick says having a second runway will bring more than 18,000 to the area by 2038 and boost the local economy by £1.5bn

If the plans go ahead it will mean its emergency runway will be used for routine flights, potentially increasing passenger numbers by 20 percent.

The airport says, “While passenger numbers currently remain low due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gatwick is taking its plans for growth forward now as we still expect to be capacity constrained in the time it would take to secure approvals, complete construction and start operations,”

But campaigners have branded the proposal ‘despicable’ and argue it’ll mean more pollution and noise.

In response Gatwick says the proposals in the consultation being launched next month were “low impact” and “in line with government policy of making best use of existing runways”.

It added they will be “delivered in a sustainable way which helps to achieve the government’s overall goal of net zero emissions by 2050”.

A consultation on the plans will begin in 2 weeks.

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