Summary

• Gatwick Airport is considering converting its northern runway for regular use to alleviate capacity issues. However, opposition from campaigners and politicians may prevent this from happening.
• Gatwick's second runway would require adjustments to ensure safe usage and would only be used for takeoffs by smaller aircraft.
• The airport hopes to gain approval for the project in the next year, creating 14,000 new jobs.

Will Gatwick Airport ever get a second runway? While a full second runway is undoubtedly a long way off, the airport technically already has two runways, but only one is regularly used. Along with its main runway (08R/26L), the airport has a northern runway (08L/26R), but it is essentially a taxiway and only ever utilized when the main runway is unavailable.

With London’s biggest airports running at full capacity, a wide range of options are being considered. The country's busiest airport, London Heathrow, has its own plans to develop a third runway. Meanwhile, Gatwick Airport is trying to make do with what it has, converting its northern runway for regular use.

Airport chiefs recently submitted a proposal laying out their vision for the second runway. However, the idea has faced years of opposition from campaigners and politicians, so it is by no means a done deal.

Two runways already?

For all intents and purposes, London Gatwick Airport (LGW) already has two runways. While one is used as the everyday runway, the other is used as a taxiway most of the time. The second runway is only used for departures and arrivals when the primary runway can't be used.

The reason for this is a 1979 agreement with the local council when Gatwick agreed not to develop a second runway for 40 years. However, this agreement expired in 2019, so the airport is free to push forward with its second runway plans.

How would two runways work?

The problem with Gatwick’s two runways is their proximity. While the two runways at Heathrow are separated by several terminals, the runways at Gatwick are only separated by a small strip of grass. This means that the two cannot realistically be used simultaneously. To facilitate dual use, Gatwick plans to push the northern runway 12 meters to the north, creating enough separation for safe operation.

Additionally, the second runway is not set up with the correct equipment for automated approaches. As such, Gatwick has devised a novel way to use the second runway. The second runway would only be used for takeoffs, negating the need to install an expensive landing system. Secondly, the runway would only handle small aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family. Big planes like the A380 and A350 would still use the main runway.

Gatwick's reliance on its single runway was recently laid bare after an Emirates Airbus A380 got stuck on the runway due to a hydraulic failure. The event led to five flight diversions and several delays, impacting thousands of passengers.

Northern Runway proposal

In July 2023, Gatwick submitted its application - or Development Consent Order (DCO) - to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS), laying out its plans for the runway. The 30,000-page application will likely take around one year to gain approval and face a final vote of approval from the UK's Transport Secretary.

While Gatwick cited a YouGov poll showing that 78% of local residents approve of the second runway project, the idea is opposed by climate campaigners. In terms of its economic impact, the runway project would create around 14,000 new jobs and inject up to £1 billion ($1.2 billion) into the local economy annually.

A real second runway?

Gatwick has floated some fairly extreme expansion ideas in the past. While these remain a long way off at the moment, they could be realized one day. As part of a proposed expansion, Gatwick could embark on a huge building project that may include an entire second runway. This is only speculation at this point, however, as the airport would need to secure a whole raft of permissions to make it a reality.

Discover more aviation news with Simple Flying.

Do you agree with London Gatwick Airport's plans for its northern runway? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

• 

  London Gatwick Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  LGW/EGKK

  Country:

  United Kingdom

  CEO:

  Stewart Wingate

  Passenger Count :

  6,260,000 (2021)

  Runways :

  08L/26R - 2,565m (8,415ft) | 08R/26L - 3,316m (10,879ft)

  Terminals:

  North Terminal | South Terminal