It has been no secret that London Heathrow has been operating at almost full capacity – much closer to achieving this than other major London airports or rival hubs of Europe. The discussion around a possible expansion at either Heathrow or Gatwick has been ongoing for years, and it seems this is now coming to a close.

A decision on an expansion in the South East is set to be made this month. This could come in the form of a new runway at London Heathrow, an extension of one of the two existing runways to double the length of it, or building a third runway at London Gatwick. No full length runway has been laid down in the South East of England since the 1940s.

In terms of cost, the most expensive option is to create a new runway at Heathrow, but it has also been identified as the option that will make the most money and create the most jobs out of these projects.

The Airports Commission, set up in 2012, came to a final decision over a year ago about this best possible outcome. The Airports Commission report states, “While London is a well-connected city its airports are showing unambiguous signs of strain.”

The report continues, “There is spare capacity elsewhere in the South East for point-to-point and especially low cost flights, but with no availability at its main hub airport London is beginning to find that new routes to long haul destinations are set up elsewhere in Europe rather than in the UK.”

This part of the report has raised issues with London Gatwick Airport. As the report was finalised in July 2015, it is out of date in terms of stating Gatwick “is well placed to cater for growth in intra-European leisure flying, but it unlikely to provide as much of the type of capacity which is most urgently required: long haul destinations in new markets.”

Competition has been a key driver in the airport’s growth, and last year recorded a two percent gain in London Airport market share. The airport is also recognised as the European airport with the most long haul routes in the last 12 months. In 2016 alone, 20 new long haul routes have been opened, and the airport now serves more long haul destinations than was predicted with a new runway in 2050.

Should London Heathrow be granted permission to go ahead with a new runway, 11 conditions must be adhered to. This includes a ban on night flights, and assurance that there will not be a fourth runway built.

This ongoing debate has sparked much controversy. With the decision back in the spotlight, a protest was held at London Heathrow demonstrating a ‘die-in’, with protesters opposing the third runway due to the issues it would raise in terms of climate change. It has been stated that 60 percent growth in passenger numbers in the UK can be achieved within the UK’s Climate Change Targets.

Heathrow has also stated that it could add five percent more flights from 2021 by reducing gaps between aircraft movements, thus expanding capacity before any new runway comes into operation in 2025.

The Commission stated that the proposed Thames Estuary airport “while appealing in theory, is unfeasibly expensive, highly problematic in environmental terms and would be highly disruptive for many businesses and communities.”

The outcome of the decision is slated to be delivered between 2025 and 2029. The Airports Commission report has stated that a new runway in the South East is required by 2030, reiterating the need for a decision to be made soon.