Gatwick Airport's £2.2billion second runway plan has been given the go-ahead by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
The privately financed project will see the West Sussex airport will move its emergency runway 13 yards north, enabling it to be used for departures of narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
Such changes will enable it to be used for about 100,000 more flights a year. In 2024 Gatwick handled around 265,000 flights in total.
Ms Alexander backed the scheme as a 'no-brainer' for economic growth, a Government source said, suggesting flights could take off from the new full runway before 2029.
The Cabinet minister is satisfied with adjustments made, covering issues such as noise mitigation and the proportion of passengers who would travel to and from the airport by public transport.
