As the demand for air travel has continued to grow during Covid, the UK is facing a critical decision on the possibility of airport expansion. New runway expansions are being proposed at some of the largest airports in the world such as Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. With the need to stimulate economic growth within the UK, the government are being put in a difficult position. Although expansions of these airports could provide a significant boost to the UK’s economy, its potential environmental impact raises serious concerns regarding the country’s ability to meet its climate targets.
Already within the UK, the aviation industry is one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases; in 2023, UK international aviation alone contributed approximately 32.9 million tonnes of CO₂ [1], which accounts for 8.6% of all greenhouse emissions from the UK in 2023. On top of the greenhouse emissions and their effect on the environment, the aviation industry also produces great noise pollution, disturbing nearby communities’ quality of life. In addition, emissions from aircraft and airport operations degrade air quality, posing health risks such as respiratory diseases for close inhabitants. These are just some of the environmental problems with the aviation industry, and the possibility of additional runways will only amplify the environmental repercussions.
The long-debated third runway at Heathrow is one of the most controversial expansion projects in the 21st century, with it first being proposed back in 2003. Heathrow is already the 4th largest airport based on the number of passengers per year, currently sitting at nearly 80 million users. However, with the addition of a third runway, Heathrow would move up to 1st, with an estimated 140 million passengers per year [2]. Whilst the creation of a new runway at Heathrow would create many jobs and boost the UKs economy by billions, the environmental trade-offs are significant. Data suggests that Heathrow’s expansion could increase CO₂ emissions by up to 3.3 million tonnes annually [3]. Additionally, the project requires demolishing nearly 800 homes, and shutting down the M25 – one of Europe’s largest motorways – which alters local ecosystems and further escalates existing environmental concerns.
London’s Gatwick Airport, while it has 2 runways that are currently both usable, can only use one at a time due to the runways being too close together; this makes it impossible for them both to be operational simultaneously. As a result, Gatwick is aiming to increase the width of the second runway so that it is further away from the main runway, allowing both to be used at the same time. This would increase its capacity from 41 million passengers per year to an estimated 75 million annually [4]. Gatwick argues that the expansion is necessary to meet rising demand, but environmental groups warn of increased emissions, noise pollution, and further congestion in surrounding areas. Another large challenge is the strain it will put on public transport, which is already struggling to cope with the increasing demand.
The final large-scale development of airports in the UK is at Manchester Airport, where it is currently undergoing a £1.3 billion redevelopment of Terminal 2. This will nearly double the size of the terminal and lead to it becoming the main terminal of the airport. Currently, around 30 million people pass through Manchester airport each year; however there are estimates that this could reach 50 million by 2030 [5]. Although this expansion aims to solidify Manchester’s position as a northern hub for international travel, the environmental impact it has remains a concern. More flights would mean increased carbon emissions, further complicating the UK’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.
If all of the proposed developments and expansions are enacted, the cumulative effect could push UK aviation emissions up by an additional 9 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2050 [3]. This, coupled with many other factors such as noise pollution, the degradation of air quality around airports and the movement of many communities create a great challenge for the government when weighing up the positives and negatives of the expansions. While expanding airports contradicts the UK’s broader environmental goals and undermines investments in renewable energy and sustainable transport alternatives, there are some viable strategies to mitigate the environmental impacts.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one way in which the government is attempting to reduce the environmental impact of the aviation industry. SAFs produce lower carbon emissions than traditional fuels, but are very costly and technically challenging for widespread implementation at the moment. Another way is through the possible development of electric or hydrogen-powered aircrafts. While promising, these technologies are still in their infancy and are unlikely to support large-scale commercial flights in the near future.
The possibility of the expansion of the aviation industry in the UK poses a complex dilemma. On one hand, you have the economic growth that it would bring to the UK, with it already accounting for £90 billion or 5% of the UKs GDP [6]. On the other hand, you have the large environmental repercussions it brings, which will only exacerbate global warming. Without substantial improvements in green aviation technology, expanding airports risks undermining the UK’s efforts to combat climate change, which begs the question: is a small expansion in aviation worth risking decades of combating climate change?
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjdz92v84do
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y2383yx7go
[3] https://www.aef.org.uk/campaigns/challenging-airport-expansion
[4] https://www.gatwickairport.com/business-community/future-plans/northern-runway/
[5] https://www.manchester.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/3949/manchester_airport_master_plan_to_2030.pdf
