UK prime minister fails to back third runway at Heathrow Airport

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham failed to back plans for a third runway at London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) during a television interview with the BBC.

On September 27, 2026, the prime minister was asked if he supported the extension at Heathrow he said, “I think principally, it’s a matter for London and Londoners”.

“I think you’ve got to hear the voice of people there first,” Burnham said. “It’s not right for me to just jump straight in on the back of the consultation.”

“There’s a consultation, but there are different views, and you have to take those views seriously in coming to a decision,” Burnham added.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is against expansion, and when the prime minister was Manchester’s mayor, he expressed skepticism about the idea.

The prime minister’s comments came as there were reports that Heathrow had said the current 2035 deadline will not be met.

On September 28, 2026, the airport also released plans regarding an eight-week public consultation.

The consultation period will run from October 27 to December 22, 2026, with residents able to learn more about expansion plans before a planning application is submitted.

“We agree with the Prime Minister that local voices must be heard,” Heathrow’s Director for Communities and Residential Property, Becky Coffin, said. “We know from consistent polling over the last decade that communities support our plans for expansion, and support is only growing over time.”

She added: “But more than that, we want local people, businesses and education institutions to have genuine opportunities to shape and finalise our plans. This consultation is a chance to do just that.”

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