Invest Gatwick Diamond has welcomed the final legal approval for London Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway project following the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of the last remaining challenge to the development.
The ruling brings to a close an eight-year planning and legal process and confirms that the Development Consent Order granted by the Department for Transport in 2025 can proceed. The £2.2 billion privately funded project will enable the airport’s existing Northern Runway to operate routinely alongside the main runway after it is repositioned to meet safety requirements.
The scheme is expected to support up to 100,000 additional flights each year, create around 14,000 jobs and contribute an estimated £1 billion annually to the UK economy once fully operational. Construction is expected to begin following detailed design and mobilisation work, with the expanded operation targeted for the end of the decade.
Brett North, Executive Director of Invest Gatwick Diamond, said: “This is a moment to say thank you. Hundreds of business organisations, chambers of commerce, trade bodies and individual companies came together to make the case for this investment, and every one of them helped demonstrate why this project matters. I’d like to thank everyone who backed the campaign and took the time to add their voice.”
Invest Gatwick Diamond coordinated business support for the Northern Runway throughout the planning process. In 2023, it led a joint letter to the Secretary of State signed by 52 business organisations representing more than 55,000 businesses across the UK. During 2025, support grew to more than 170 business organisations representing over 100,000 businesses, with the organisation continuing to encourage companies to participate in the planning consultation process and submit representations to Government.
Brett North added, “This campaign shows what can happen when businesses from across the country speak with one voice. The approval provides certainty for investors, employers and future generations and we look forward to working with partners to ensure the economic opportunities created by the Northern Runway are shared across the Gatwick Diamond and beyond.”
The Northern Runway project includes upgrades to airport infrastructure, terminals, transport access and operational facilities. Invest Gatwick Diamond will continue to work with businesses, local authorities and stakeholders to maximise the economic opportunities arising from the investment and support future inward investment across the region.