There were more than 2.5 million flights over the UK in 2025, with more expected this year. These help to bring in the £147 billion the UK makes in tourism every year. Planes are also important for delivering goods such as medicine, fruit and parcels. Heathrow and Gatwick are the busiest airports in the UK. Heathrow is a hub airport (used by airlines as a central airport) and runs at 98–99% of its maximum capacity. That means it is completely booked up most of the time, which is far busier than other European hubs. The Government has approved a second runway at Gatwick, which will increase the number of flights. However, climate activists and local residents are against the plan. What do you think? Should UK airports get bigger?
Yes – it would create jobs
The boss of Gatwick Airport said the new runway would create 14,000 jobs and add £1 billion to the UK’s economy every year. The economy is the way a country organises its money and resources. A second runway would add up to 100,000 flights a year from Gatwick, meaning more destinations and flight times to choose from. It should also mean shorter waiting times for passengers because an extra runway would make it easier to reshuffle delayed flights without disrupting others. Supporters of the plan say that planes landing at Gatwick won’t need to spend so long flying around in “holding patterns” as they wait their turn to land. Larger airports also mean improved transport links, which benefit the wider community.
No – airports are bad for the environment
A Government environment committee said airport expansion plans would put the UK’s climate goals at serious risk. A campaign group says the second runway at Gatwick alone will add more than a million tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere a year. Some people are also concerned about the effect of airport expansion on people nearby. They say since 2010, noise pollution from flights has got worse. The new runway would increase flights by 35%, making the situation worse, campaigners say. The work could also affect ancient woodland near the airport, damaging old trees and destroying the habitats of at-risk wildlife such as grass snakes, noctule bats and long-horned bees, Sussex Wildlife Trust said.
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