Gatwick Airport Says No Second Runway

The new owners of Gatwick Airport have now ruled out plans to build a second runway. At a meeting with conservationists, Gatwick’s chairman, Sir David Rowlands, said there was not a shred of interest in a second runway.

Sir David Rowlands met with members of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign to talk about future plans for the airport under its new owner, the United States-based investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners. Following the sale in December, the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign and other groups feared that the new owners would purse plans to build a second runway despite the airport having an agreement with West Sussex Country Council not to consider any plans before 2019.

Sir Rowlands went on to say that the simple fact is that his team at Gatwick have not a shred of interest in a second runaway. It’s not government policy, and it’s not in their policy. He said that even if the government started to look more favorably at the prospect, they would have to think very hard about spending £100 million to £200 million on a planning application with an uncertain decision.

The chairman of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, Brendon Sewill, said that these comments should help to kill off speculation and a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. He said that Gatwick Area Conservation campaign thanks all of those who, over the years, have supported the campaign against a new runway. The united stand by local people, local MPs and all the local councils across Surrey, Sussex and Kent has helped produce this result. He said that they will remain on guard and stand ready in case other threats come up.