Heidi Alexander approves expansion to allow 100,000 more flights a year
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.
Transport Secretary gives green light for second runway and 100,000 extra flights per year
There has been strong opposition against the airport wanting to use its northern runway.
Plans for the expansion of Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton could mean hundreds of thousands of additional flights a year.
The lowdown on what happens next and whether the move is likely to boost the UK economy
Locals in the nearby village of Carlwood say the decision to approve the £2.2 billion plan for a second runway at Gatwick Airport is 'heartbreaking' and 'appalling'.