Healey Declares Heathrow Third Runway “Given the Go-Ahead,” Exposing Rift With Prime Minister Burnham

London: Chancellor John Healey has said the government has given the go-ahead to a third runway at Heathrow Airport. His remarks put him firmly on the pro-growth side of a dispute that is dividing Labour’s leadership, since Prime Minister Andy Burnham has repeatedly declined to back the project.

At Treasury Questions in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat business spokeswoman Sarah Olney challenged Healey to abandon what she called an absurd proposal. She described the runway as a white elephant pursued by his predecessor. Healey defended the scheme. He said that after years of delay, indecision and legal challenges, the government had approved the project because its economic case was sound and it would help deliver growth.

His position contrasts with that of Burnham, who has refused to confirm his support for the expansion since entering Downing Street. In a major interview at the start of Labour’s conference, Burnham would not say whether he favoured the runway going ahead. He has argued that the scheme remains subject to consultation and then the planning process. The Financial Times has reported that he is privately opposed to it, a notable break from his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer and former Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Reeves set out Labour’s backing for the third runway in January 2025 and made it central to her growth agenda.

Other senior ministers have also spoken up for the project. Paymaster General James Murray said a third runway would make the country stronger by boosting jobs, trade and investment. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the party conference that Britain loses by standing still. She said expansion could bring opportunities and growth to every part of the country and rejected the idea that growth and decarbonisation are in conflict.

Heathrow’s chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, has urged the Prime Minister to back the scheme publicly. He warned that investment could go overseas without a firm commitment from the government.

The expansion is estimated to cost £33 billion, including £1.5 billion to reroute the M25 motorway, and is expected to be fully privately financed. It would raise Heathrow’s capacity to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers a year. The timetable has slipped, however. Reeves had suggested the runway could open in 2035, but airport executives now expect completion around 2039. They aim to secure planning permission by 2029 and then build within a decade.

The project also faces climate concerns. A recent report found that a third runway would push the UK past its legally binding climate targets, especially after expansions already approved at Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. The Department for Transport has said there is currently no live planning application for a third runway. It added that it continues to work with Heathrow and other stakeholders on the framework under which one could be considered.