Green light for Northern Runway project after Court of Appeal rejects legal challenge

Pierre-Hugues Schmit, Chief Executive of London Gatwick said: "Today's Court of Appeal decision to comprehensively reject the legal challenges brought by the two campaign groups opposing London Gatwick’s Northern Runway Project, confirms, yet again, that the September 2025 decision by the Secretary of State for Transport to approve the Northern Runway Project was taken properly and lawfully. We are also very pleased that this ruling, from senior Court of Appeal Judges, brings to an end an eight-year planning and legal process which has carefully tested and scrutinised every aspect of our expansion plans on multiple occasions. 

"The Northern Runway project will deliver significant business, tourism and trade benefits for the UK, including 14,000 new jobs, a £1bn boost to the economy every year and a comprehensive education, skills and business strategy designed to bring maximum benefits to local people and the Gatwick region.   

"This final ruling means that we can now press on with the important job of bringing this exciting project to life and move forward into the design and delivery phase. We would like to thank everyone who has supported our planning application through the various stages and will announce further details in due course."