The £2.2bn plans to expand Gatwick airport look set to go ahead after the government signalled it was supporting the project – a move that could see an additional 100,000 flights accommodated each year at the UK’s second-busiest airport.

The deadline for the government to make a final decision has been extended to late October 2025, but transport secretary Heidi Alexander has “set out a path to approving” Gatwick’s expansion project, said one government source.

In a written parliamentary answer, she said: “Today [27 February 2025] I have issued a ‘minded to approve’ letter for the Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Development Consent Order (DCO) under the Planning Act 2008.

“The deadline for the final decision is now extended to 27 October 2025 [an extension of 9 months]. The decision to set a new deadline is without prejudice to the decision on whether to give development consent for the above application.”

Stewart Wingate, chief executive officer at Gatwick, said he welcomes the news, adding: “It is vital that any planning conditions attached to the final approval enable us to make a decision to invest £2.2bn in this project and realise the full benefits of bringing the northern runway into routine use.”

It comes after the Planning Inspectorate initially rejected the West Sussex airport’s application to bring its emergency runway into routine use.

The Planning Inspectorate then recommended Ms Alexander give the project the go-ahead if adjustments are made on certain issues, such as the proportion of passengers who travel to and from the airport by public transport, and noise mitigation.

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“The transport secretary has set out a path to approving the expansion of Gatwick today following the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation to refuse the original application,” a government source said.

“This is an important step forward and demonstrates that this government will stop at nothing to deliver economic growth and new infrastructure as part of our plan for change.

“Expansion will bring huge benefits for business and represents a victory for holidaymakers. We want to deliver this opportunity in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations.

“We look forward to Gatwick’s response as they have indicated planes could take off from a new runway before the end of this parliament.”

The proposals would see capacity increased on Gatwick’s existing runway – which is already Europe’s busiest – and reconfigure the airport’s standby runway for routine use by departing aircraft.

Gatwick’s privately financed project would see it move the emergency runway 12 metres north. This would enable it to be used for departures by narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.

Gatwick says its plans would generate £1bn per year in economic benefits, as well as an additional 14,000 jobs.

The plan also involves remodelling and replacing existing taxiways – which connect runways to terminals, hangars and other facilities – along with extending both terminals, and installing new aircraft gates.

The airport says its scheme is “shovel ready” and construction could start this year. It hopes the upgraded runway will be operational by the end of the decade.

Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, was born a mile south of Gatwick and has worked in a variety of jobs at the airport.

He said: “London is the biggest aviation market in the world, yet due to extreme capacity constraints it is dysfunctional – with both of the biggest airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, close to capacity. Passengers do not get the choice they deserve of airlines and destinations, and pay higher fares due to the constraints on supply of seats.

“Gatwick’s plan for another permanent runway is far less disruptive and much cheaper than Heathrow’s, and will be ready much sooner. Another runway will also improve resilience: when disruption occurs, the lack of slack in the system means schedules unravel fast.

“The environmental impact, both locally and in terms of emissions, will be considerable. I am fully in favour of government using taxation to nudge people to more sustainable forms of transport, and also penalising airlines that use old, inefficient planes.”

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Gatwick is Europe’s busiest single-runway airport, and last year saw more than 40 million passengers pass through.

Local campaigners opposed to the airport’s expansion have expressed concerns over the impact on surface transport, noise, housing provision and wastewater treatment.

Before the announcement, Sally Pavey, chair of Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne), warned about “uncontrollable noise, ramifications on the roads, decline in air quality ... and climate change”.

The group has threatened legal action through a judicial review if the expansion goes ahead.

In a statement on Thursday, the campaign group said: “Cagne do not believe Gatwick has been totally upfront with their submissions, and the planning hearings left so many questions unanswered.

“Cagne will therefore, with our team of legal and qualified experts, seek to work with the secretary of state for transport to restrict growth to reflect the lack of infrastructure and funding being offered by this airport.

“We will continue to hold Gatwick’s feet to the fire to ensure the local communities of Sussex, Surrey and Kent do not pay for this burden as well as the planet. If Gatwick wants a new runway, they should pay for the ramifications of its operations, the same as Heathrow will have to pay if they ever get a new runway.

“The cost of operating this new runway will fall to the taxpayer, which is fundamentally wrong, as is the fact that it will continue to significantly increase global warming to benefit the few who can afford multiple flights.”

Meanwhile, Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, which represents 7,000 workers at the airport, said: “Unite welcomes the announcement of the expansion of Gatwick but it needs to come with guarantees of well-paid, unionised jobs and proper facilities for workers.

“It is also ever more urgent with every airport expansion that we ensure domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel to offset carbon emissions and meet the government’s own targets on net zero.”

Last month, plans for a third runway at Heathrow were backed by the government. The chancellor Rachel Reeves promised to take forward a full assessment through the airport national policy statement, designed to “ensure that the project is value for money”. She said that the government’s “clear expectation is that any associated service transport costs will be financed through private funding”.

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