Britain’s government has backed a tortured effort to build a third runway at Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, throwing its weight behind a decades-old proposal that has been beset by political, legal and environmental challenges.

Heathrow airport expansion will smash our community, say nearby villagers - Hundreds of homes could be demolished in the west London villages of Harmondsworth and Longford if the expansion gets the green light.

In a major speech, the country’s top finance official pushed for faster economic growth, and supported a long-debated expansion at the London airport.

London Heathrow could finally see a third runway, but even with Government approval, the project still has to undergo several steps before construction starts

U.K. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves says that the new Labour government is backing the construction of third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport.

What could a third runway at Heathrow mean for tourism and the climate? Whatever the outcome, it’s still a long way away from happening.

Rachel Reeves confirmed plans for a third runway at London Heathrow Airport this morning, (Wednesday, January 29). The ambitious project has been backed by the airport itself, claiming it is the 'bold, responsible vision the UK needs to thrive in the 21st century'.

The third runway is part of its drive to lift the U.K. economy out of a long period of stagnation, Treasury chief Rachel Reeves said in a speech on Wednesday.

Significant growth in passenger volumes has required this airport to invest billions of pounds in new development projects

Heathrow's third runway can be built and operating in a decade's time, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said. Reeves told the BBC she wanted to see "spades in the ground" in the current Parliament and planes to start using the runway by 2035.

Rachel Reeves is facing fierce opposition within Labour over her plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.