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Gatwick’s Second Runway Gets the Green Light
After months of speculation, transport secretary Heidi Alexander has approved Gatwick’s £2.2 billion plan to bring Gatwick’s Northern Runway into full-time use.
London is the world’s aviation capital, with more people flying in and out of its airports than anywhere else. Yet capacity means operations at both Heathrow and Gatwick are limited. Gatwick, already the UK’s second largest airport, now holds the title of Europe’s busiest single-runway.
The Plan
The project will relocate the standby runway 12 metres to the north, to operate alongside the main strip. Currently, the two runways are too close together for safe operations.
Each year, the new runway is expected to add 100,000 extra flights, increasing the airport’s capacity to 80 million passengers.
The new runway will mainly be used for narrow-bodied aircraft (e.g. Airbus A320/Boeing 737). The main runway would continue to be used for all landings and some take-offs.
The project will be entirely privately funded by VINCI Airports, Gatwick’s majority owner, together with some of Gatwick’s other shareholders.
Gatwick now expects the new runway to be operational by 2030, but if all goes well, it could be operational by 2029.
However, not everyone agrees with the plans. Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions has already announced a judicial review, which could delay progress by up to 18 months.
Part of the approval terms include at least 54% of passengers arriving by public transport. This is up from the current level of around 47%. The expectation is that rail capacity will have to increase and improve, but MPs have questioned who exactly will pay for this. Gatwick is often harder to reach than Heathrow.
Gatwick has also promised to cover road upgrades and offer compensation for homeowners, including noise insulation or, in extreme cases, relocation support.
Stewart Wingate, VINCI Airports’ Managing Director for the UK, said:
“As we’ve said previously, it is essential that any planning conditions enable us to realise the full benefits of the project and do not impose unnecessary constraints that make it uneconomic to invest in.”
The government has stated that sustainable aviation fuel means airport expansions do not compromise net-zero targets.
More Choice
More runway space potentially means more routes, more capacity, which in turn means more reward seat space and potentially better fares. In my experience, Gatwick fares are already often cheaper than Heathrow fares.
A second runway should also make Gatwick more resilient. Currently, there’s no slack in the system, so even minor disruptions can cause major issues.
What About Heathrow’s Third Runway?
Heathrow’s third runway saga has been ongoing since the early 2000s, with the first government backing not until 2009. However, it stalled again after the pandemic and a series of legal challenges, including those related to noise, new governments, cost, and climate commitments.
Heathrow recently released a £49 billion expansion plan, promising 30 new daily routes and a 0.43% increase in GDP. This comes after the government re-endorsed the plan. If approved, 2035 has been a date that has been floating around.
The government has noted that Gatwick’s demand profile differs, serving primarily leisure and point-to-point traffic rather than transfer passengers. You can read more about this on the Heathrow website here. You can also read the Heathrow proposal summary here.
If you’re interested, you can read all the details about the planning application here.
American Airlines Brings Champagne Bollinger Onboard
Champagne is always a great way to start your trip. American Airlines has just announced a new partnership with Champagne Bollinger. This is the first time American has partnered with a prestigious Champagne house.
From now on, you’ll be welcomed with a glass of Special Cuvée in the American flagship lounges in Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, and Chicago O’Hare. Los Angeles and Philadelphia will follow in the coming weeks.
Onboard, Special Cuvée will debut next month on Flagship First and Flagship Business flights to and from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, before a wider international rollout later in the year.
This is certainly a step above BA’s Club World offering of English Sparkling Wines, although BA does serve Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle in First or alternatives such as Bollinger Grande Année and PN AYC18 on rotation.
Bollinger’s Special Cuvée is “powerful yet refined, with remarkable depth and elegance”. It’s made from 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Meunier and is noted for its flavours of ripe fruit, brioche, and hints of roasted apple notes.
Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer, said:
“At American, our focus is on elevating the experience for our customers and we’re excited to announce this partnership with Champagne Bollinger.
“A House as storied as Bollinger is the perfect fit for American on the eve of our centennial year.”
In 2023, American removed Champagne altogether from its Business Class cabins, substituting it with Ferrari Brut Trento DOC. It’s certainly good news that Champagne will be returning!
Emirates also has a great offering after it agreed to an exclusive Champagne partnership, giving rights to Dom Pérignon (served in First), Moët & Chandon, and Veuve Clicquot across its network.
Radisson Offer: Up to 7,000 Bonus Points
Radisson has just launched another promotion. You can now earn up to 7,000 bonus points on stays between 18th September and 18th November 2025. We have seen this exact offer before, which ended in April.
Here’s how it works:
- 1st Stay: 500 bonus points
- 2nd Stay: 3,000 bonus points
- 3rd Stay: 3,500 bonus points
You must also register for the promo to receive your bonus points. Only bookings made after registration will count. Signing up for the promotion is easy. You just need to enter your email or Radisson Rewards number.
Things to Note:
- You must stay at three different hotels. Stays at the same hotel will not receive bonus points.
- You must be a member of Radisson Rewards to sign up and be a member of the Radisson Rewards programme. If you’re not already a member, you can sign up for Radisson Rewards here.
- Points will be awarded within 60 days of the end of the promotion
- The offer is only applicable to participating Radisson hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific (excluding the Americas).
- You can earn these 7,000 bonus points on top of any other Radisson Rewards promotions you’ve registered for.
Making the Most of This Offer with Other Offers
7,000 points is not worth booking a stay specifically for, but if you regularly stay at Radisson properties, it’s a nice bonus (although most of the time worth under £10). If you have one stay lined up, you may as well register. The best value comes when you receive bonus points from more than one offer.
Ongoing Radisson offers include:
- 2,000 bonus points for stays of 2 or more nights in any newly-opened Radisson hotel in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. You must book your stay within 6 months of the hotel’s opening.
- 3,000 bonus points for downloading the app and making your first app booking of 2+ nights in one of 550+ hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific.
- Until 30th September – 2,000 bonus Rewards points for stays of 2 or more nights at participating Radisson hotels in Europe.
3 comments
Will that be a welcome drink of warm bubbles served in a disposable plastic cup? Memories of my few trips in American business class with some sweet Californian spumante offered as champagne. Different story in first however!
Welcome improvement.
I hope not! However my last two flights with AA was exactly that.
The announcement on Gatwick’s second runway raises various questions for those of us based outside London, particularly those looking for premium flights and through connections.
(1) will British Airways take up (or be allowed) a proportion of the additional slots?
(2) if so, will this increase the number of BA destinations served only from Gatwick rather than Heathrow
(3) if so, will they revisit the post-COVID removal of effective through connections from the main domestic airports (this is now down to a single one class Aer Lingus ATR72 morning return trip from/to Glasgow)
(4) if they do improve these connections, how will connecting passengers be counted against the target of 54% arriving by public transport.