Plans for a second runway at London’s Gatwick Airport have been given the green light in a move chancellor Rachel Reeves said will help boost the UK economy.

The UK government announced on Sunday that transport secretary Heidi Alexander had approved plans for the second runway.

The £2.2bn privately-financed project will see Gatwick move its emergency runway 12 metres north, allowing it to be used for departures of narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s. This will enable the airport to handle around 100,000 more flights per year.

Following the announcement, Reeves said: “This government promised to kickstart the economy – and we are.

“A second runway at Gatwick means thousands more jobs and billions more in investment for the economy.

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“We are backing the builders, not the blockers. By slashing red tape and transforming the planning system to get Britain building again we are investing in this country’s renewal and building an economy that works for working people.”

Gatwick has said its plans could create around 14,000 new jobs in the South East and inject £1bn into the region’s economy every year.

However, the project has faced opposition, with Green Party leader Zack Polanski saying in a post on X on Sunday: “Aviation expansion is a disaster for the climate crisis.”

The project has also faced a backlash locally with Cagne, an umbrella aviation community and environment group for Sussex, Surrey and Kent, saying it was prepared to serve a judicial review funded by residents and environmental bodies.

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