Gatwick’s growth bid

GATWICK Airport has drawn up plans to bring its standby runway into routine use to meet soaring demand.

The UK’s second-busiest airport, after Heathrow, wants the runway operational from about 2025, but faces opposition over the impact of increased noise and air pollution.

Gatwick is now operating at full capacity during the summer months, and at the moment its standby runway is used only in emergencies or when the main one is closed for maintenance.

The airport’s proposals come after it lost out in the Government’s controversial decision to allow Heathrow to build a new runway.