Gatwick called ‘neighbour from hell’ as it confirms plan to use emergency runway for routine flights

An extra 109,000 flights every year could be accommodated if plan approved

Chief executive Stewart Wingate says there was ‘strong support’ locally for the plan. (Simon Calder)

Gatwick Airport has been accused of planning “a second runway by stealth” after it announced it was pressing ahead with proposals to use its emergency runway for routine flights.

Calling it ”the neighbour from hell”, local campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions said the plan “flies in the face of the government’s pledge for ‘net zero’ CO2 emissions by 2050”.

The UK’s second busiest airport announced it will prepare a planning application seeking permission to bring the airstrip into full passenger use, while insisting the measure aligns with the government’s policy of “making best use of existing runways”.

If the plan is approved it would enable it to accommodate an extra 109,000 flights every year.

The West Sussex airport first suggested it could use the emergency runway to increase its capacity last October. A final version of its “master plan” provided more details of the proposal.

The emergency runway could be operational by the mid-2020s and would be used for departures only.

If the plans are approved, the airport would aim to be serving around 70 million passengers, almost doubling the amount it currently caters for.

Gatwick lost out to Heathrow in a bid to obtain government approval to build an additional runway, amid a need for more airport capacity in the southeast.

The centre lines of Gatwick’s main and emergency runways are separated by 198m. If the plan was improved the emergency runway would be widened by 12m to comply with safety regulations.

Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said a 12-week public consultation shows there is “strong support for Gatwick and the local area’s ambitions”.

He added: “The plans would deliver additional capacity for Gatwick, which will provide choices for the future – including incrementally growing our airport to meet demand and continuing to provide solid operational performance for passengers and airlines. Gatwick’s global connections are needed more than ever but as we take our plans forward, we must do so in the most sustainable and responsible way, and in full partnership with our local councils, communities, passengers and partners.”

But a spokeswoman for Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions criticised the proposal. “This clearly illustrates Gatwick’s greed comes before everything and must now be seen as the neighbour from hell for all the communities of Sussex that already find aircraft noise unbearable,” she told The Argus. “It is totally disingenuous to the residents of Crawley to continue to safeguard land for a third runway when housing demand is high.”

In order to gain planning permission to routinely use the standby runway, Gatwick must follow the Development Consent Order process that culminates in a final decision by the transport secretary.