Will Heathrow ever see a third runway?
Proactive Technical Recruitment is the UK's leading Aviation Recruitment Company. We offer clients and candidates both contract and permanent opportunities across all major UK Airports. Proactive currently hold signatory status at Heathrow & Gatwick, and supply contract engineers at the UKs top 5 busiest Airports. Because of our in-depth market knowledge and specialist consultants, Proactive are always first to hear of any projects affecting the industry. One of the biggest stories to hit the aviation sector in the last decade is undoubtedly the controversial expansion of Heathrow Airport and the addition of a third runway.
Having recruited into the Aviation sector for nearly four year, the much-talked about third-runway has been one of the biggest talking points of my career. There was a huge cheer in Proactive’s Bishopsgate office, when on the 25th October 2016 the Government finally, albeit controversially, backed the expansion. For the last three years however, talk has quietened down on the Heathrow expansion, with no further details being released. With the serious lack of fine details, there has been much speculation as to both Heathrow, and the government’s plans as to where the third runway will be located. With the surrounding areas being densely populated, with heavy sound restrictions and local climate activism, the proposals have come under intense scrutiny.
Heathrow Airport is currently running at almost 98% capacity and has been for considerable time. In an increasingly competitive market airlines have had to expand their routes and destinations from rival airports such as Paris, and Frankfurt. Heathrow Airport is also responsible for handling over 30% of the UKs international trade, meaning the UK is highly reliant on Heathrow despite already running at full capacity. With the UK currently in the midst of a political crisis following the 2016 decision to leave the EU, if the UK wants to expand its trade with other countries, this will have to come through the UKs single runway airports.
Estimates show that a third runway at Heathrow Airport would increase the UKs trade by up to 50%. It’s also estimated that over 180,000 jobs will be created by working on the runway itself and its supply chain, and that up to £187 billion will be delivered in economic benefits. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has stated this will come at ‘no cost to the tax payer and within our environmental obligations.’
With the addition of a third runway, the extra 180,000 newly created jobs would cover all aspects of the engineering industry. With a new runway come new plans and designs for not only the runway itself, but the accompanying new terminal too. With the new terminal would come a new baggage systems and new transport links. With such an extensive undertaking, the requirement for niche skillsets would be huge, from ground level maintenance engineering all the way up to project directorships. We would see new jobs created in all three of Proactive’s aviation sectors; construction, civil and baggage works.
In June 2018 the government backed the addition of a third runway with a majority of 296. A government commission recently found that if there is no expansion or further development at the south easts 5 major airports, then London will be at capacity by 2030. In the last year alone, Heathrow airport was overtaken by Munich airport in the top 20 for hub connectivity, dropping to just 9th place.
In May 2019, the government won a high court challenge in favour of the addition of a third runway despite controversial activism against it. The transport secretary said work would begin by 2021. With the benefits of a third runway just as clear as the consequences of not going ahead, lets hope spades hit the ground sooner rather than later.
