UK airports confirm their support for London Heathrow expansion

A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at the end of last week between Heathrow and RABA (the UK Regional and Business Airports Group), underlines their joint commitment to ensuring the nationwide benefits of expansion can be unlocked through stronger domestic connectivity.

The support for expansion is shared by airports from Belfast to Newcastle and Inverness to Newquay, all of which want to see domestic links to the UK’s hub protected and improved through expansion.

Heathrow already plays a critical role in connecting the UK. Almost five million passengers traveled on its 13 domestic routes in 2025, supporting an estimated £1.2 billion in gross tourism spending across the UK.

However, Heathrow has been operating at full capacity for many years. As a result, domestic routes have to compete for scarce slots alongside more lucrative international services. When domestic connections are lost, passengers rely on indirect routes through overseas hubs, shifting the benefits of connectivity away from the UK.

Despite these capacity constraints, Heathrow has supported domestic routes through significant discounts and close partnerships with airports. Meanwhile, only by unlocking new capacity at the UK’s hub airport will there be sufficient protection and greater competition on existing routes, as well as opportunities for new connections to underserved parts of the UK. These are vital for tourism, trade and investment across the country.

Heathrow third runway will help grow business at UK regional airports
The MoU confirms Heathrow’s commitment to ensuring expansion reverses this uncertainty and the shift of connectivity overseas by unlocking new capacity and connecting more of the UK to global growth through its own hub airport.

These connections are essential for supporting jobs nationwide, attracting visitors to towns and cities across the country, and linking local economies and the goods they produce to international opportunities.

Heathrow’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Nigel Milton, said: “There’s a reason we’re not called London Heathrow anymore, because we’re the UK’s hub airport, and when Heathrow grows, so do the opportunities for other airports across the country.

“We’re committed to UK airports having better access to Heathrow and are proud to confirm that partnership with RABA. We need a stronger domestic network of routes into Heathrow, and the only way we can do that is with the growth a third runway will deliver.“

RABA Group Chair Neil Pakey said: “Heathrow expansion would offer a significant boost to the UK, opening up global growth access to communities across the country. For smaller regional airports, direct connections to Heathrow offer a vital gateway to international markets, supporting local businesses, jobs and economic growth.

“The MoU signed by RABA and Heathrow Airports Ltd reflects Heathrow’s commitment to strengthening connectivity across the UK. A third runway will help deliver these benefits nationwide. We urge the Government to maintain momentum and deliver this long-overdue national upgrade so that every part of the UK can benefit.“

Echoing the need for expansion as a driver of domestic connectivity, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Newcastle International Airport, Belfast City Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport and Cornwall Airport Newquay have also expressed their support.

They said: “Unlocking new capacity at Heathrow is the only way to ensure every part of the UK benefits from reliable access to the country’s global gateway. We urge the Government to move forward at pace to approve Heathrow’s private investment in new capacity so that we can maximize our own growth plans and play our full roles in supporting local and national economies.”