Battle for Heathrow's third runway is set for take off - for £49BN

A planning row was set to take off today as Heathrow unveiled its designs for a third runway.

Britain’s biggest airport believes the project, including terminals and infrastructure, can be built within a decade at a cost of around £49 billion.

If passed, it will allow flights to 30 new destinations, add 0.43 per cent to the UK’s GDP and carry 66 million more passengers per year, Heathrow says.

But it is set to face a battle, with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who is strongly opposed to a third runway on noise and environmental grounds, suggesting he could launch a legal challenge.

The extension would involve diverting a section of the M25 through a tunnel running underneath the new runway and will mean a major redesign of the airport.