Heathrow Airport says it can build a third runway for £21 billion within the next decade with the total cost of expanding the airport estimated at £49 billion.

Europe’s busiest travel hub has submitted its plans to the government with opponents raising concerns about carbon emissions, noise pollution and environmental impacts.

The west London airport wants permission to create a 3,500m (11,400ft) runway, but insists it is open to considering a shorter one instead.

Reporter, Mollie Malone, says details surrounding the diverting of the M25 at Junction 14 are “controversial.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says it’s “essential” the UK increases its airport capacity “to ensure the things that we make here in Britain can be exported and sold throughout the world”.

“It will create new jobs, not just around Heathrow, but all around the UK, as it gives new export opportunities to businesses right across Britain.”

London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is still against a new runway because of “the severe impact” it will have on the capital’s residents.

Under Heathrow’s proposal, the runway would be constructed to the northwest of its existing location, allowing for an additional 276,000 flights per year.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“Unite welcomes Heathrow’s plans and is pleased that the government continues to support building a third runway. Now ministers must put their words into action and ensure that construction begins as quickly as possible.

“A third runway must be about more than just improving infrastructure – it must provide real material benefits to the thousands of workers who will build and run it. That means ensuring that the jobs created are well-paid and unionised.

“Heathrow’s commitment to using UK produced steel is also welcome and must not be watered down. All national infrastructure projects should be using UK steel – no ifs, no buts.

“As well as providing much needed support to our steel industry, the expansion at Heathrow must be accompanied by joined up thinking when it comes to the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) planes must soon start using.

“Scotland’s Grangemouth refinery is ideally suited to transition to SAF production and it is frankly outrageous that there currently are no plans for this to happen when it would safeguard hundreds of jobs and bolster UK industry.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

“I am pleased to have received the initial Heathrow expansion proposals – a significant step towards unlocking growth, creating jobs, and delivering vital national infrastructure to drive forward our Plan for Change.
“We’ll consider the proposals carefully over the summer so that we can begin a review of the Airports National Policy Statement later this year.”

Paul McGuinness, Chair of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, said:

“Heathrow’s expansion plans seem to have reverted to the failed, impossible proposals of yesteryear – increasing its size with new hotels, hangars, cars parks and runway by an area that is larger than Birmingham International Airport to fly as many extra planes as Gatwick currently flies. Bulldozing local villages to build the UK’s second largest airport next the largest, to bring noise blight to millions.

“Not only is Heathrow’s 3rd runway proposal set to be by far the most expensive and least cost-effective airport expansion anywhere in the world for each extra passenger, but ratings agents have already said that Heathrow would struggle to raise even half of the £48bn required to fund the project, given the Airport’s current debt burden.

“So, even if the taxpayer is called in to foot the bill for the decade of disruptive construction, it seems that Ryanair’s boss wasn’t a lone voice when he described the government’s support for Heathrow expansion as “HS2 all over again”.