The £2.2 billion expansion was approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander in September 2025
Gatwick Airport’s expansion plans are set to proceed after campaigners lost their bid to take a legal challenge against the government to the Court of Appeal.
Peter Barclay and the group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) had initiated legal action against the Department for Transport, contesting the approval of the scheme.
Their concerns primarily focused on claims that the government had not properly assessed the climate impact of the project.
The £2.2 billion expansion, which received approval from Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander in September, will see the West Sussex airport move its emergency runway 12 metres north.
This significant alteration is designed to accommodate an additional 100,000 flights each year.
The High Court dismissed the campaigners’ challenges in June. Mr Justice Mould found that it was “neither illogical nor contradictory” for Ms Alexander not to refuse the proposed development “on the basis that it would have a material impact on the ability of Government to meet its carbon reduction targets”.
The judge also rejected an argument concerning the necessity of the expansion at Gatwick, given its proximity to Heathrow.
Last month, Mr Barclay and Cagne sought permission from the Court of Appeal to challenge this ruling, asserting that the High Court judge had been mistaken. However, their attempt to appeal was unsuccessful, removing a key obstacle for the controversial development.
But in a ruling on Tuesday, Lord Justice Holgate and Lord Justice Dove dismissed the appeal bids.
In a 29-page ruling, they said: “We conclude that each of the grounds of appeal raised by each appellant is unarguable.
“Neither appeal has a real prospect of success. We also consider that there are no other compelling reasons for either appeal to be heard.”
The two senior judges also said that Mr Justice Mould’s ruling was “detailed and thorough”.
Gatwick is the UK’s second busiest airport and one of the busiest single-runway airports in the world.
The expansion will allow the site to be used for the departures of narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s, with the first flights expected to take off from the new runway in 2030.
Following Tuesday’s decision, Mrs Alexander said: “This is a major milestone for Gatwick and for local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands of new jobs.
“Around 13 million more passengers and 100,000 more flights will give holidaymakers greater choice and strengthen global links to help make the UK one of the most attractive places in the world to invest.
“We’ll back expansion that supports growth and our climate goals. To drive forward sustainable change, we’re also investing over £219m for green fuel production to cut emissions from flying and secure the future of aviation.”
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