London Gatwick Airport can proceed with plans to bring its Northern Runway into regular use after the UK Court of Appeal dismissed a legal challenge against the airport’s expansion.

The ruling removes one of the final obstacles to a project expected to allow Gatwick to handle up to 100,000 additional aircraft movements a year from 2030. The UK government estimates that the expansion will increase the airport’s annual capacity by around 13 million passengers, create approximately 14,000 new jobs and generate an additional £1 billion in economic benefits each year.

Although the UK government’s announcement describes the project as opening a second runway, it does not involve the construction of an entirely new runway. Gatwick already has a Northern Runway, which is currently used mainly when the main runway is unavailable. The project will see it moved approximately 12 metres north to provide sufficient separation for both runways to be used simultaneously.

The Northern Runway is expected to be used primarily for departures by narrowbody aircraft operating short- and medium-haul services, while the main runway will continue to handle all arrivals and departures by larger aircraft. The project also includes the construction of new taxiways, expanded terminal capacity, additional boarding gates and improvements to road infrastructure around the airport.

The UK Department for Transport said the additional capacity would provide passengers with a wider choice of flights across the more than 200 destinations currently served from Gatwick, strengthen competition between airlines and potentially help reduce air fares.

“This is a major milestone for Gatwick and for local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands of new jobs,” UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.

She added that around 13 million additional passengers and 100,000 more flights a year would provide travellers with greater choice and strengthen the United Kingdom’s international connectivity.

“We’ll back expansion that supports growth and our climate goals,” Alexander said.

The UK government stressed that Gatwick, like all future airport expansion projects, will be required to meet strict conditions relating to air quality, carbon emissions and noise. The same conditions would also apply to any future third-runway project at Heathrow.

The government has also announced more than £219 million in funding to increase the production of sustainable aviation fuel in the United Kingdom, along with a further £43 million to support the development of hydrogen-powered and electric flight.

Legal action against the project was brought by campaign groups that raised concerns over the expansion’s environmental impact and its compatibility with climate targets. The Court of Appeal dismissed their challenge and also refused permission for a further appeal.

The Gatwick expansion project had previously received conditional approval from the UK government in February 2025, with changes requested to several conditions relating to noise, public transport and the use of additional capacity. Final approval was granted in October of the same year.

Gatwick is the second-busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow and one of Europe’s busiest airports operating primarily with a single main runway. Bringing the Northern Runway into regular use is expected to significantly increase its capacity and competitiveness while supporting further growth in its airline network.