London’s Heathrow Airport is shelving plans to add a third runway and will examine other options to handle more passengers, The Sunday Times of London reported.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye has begun the processing of disbanding a team focused on the project, the newspaper said, citing sources it didn’t name.
The airport, which saw passenger numbers rise about 29 percent to 79.2 million in 2023, will review proposals including extending the use of buses to deliver travelers to aircraft and other measures to boost runway efficiency, according to the report.
Heathrow Airport is “looking at how we can optimize the current airport to achieve short-term growth within our current infrastructure.
A strong Q4 performance helped the airport reach their first adjusted profit in four years with £38 million adjusted profit before tax.
Behind-the-scenes investments are underway across the airport to boost passenger experience and operational resilience. Heathrow Airport are upgrading 146 security lanes as part of their £1 billion investment in next generation security equipment, and have appointed a lead contractor to replace the T2 baggage system.
“2023 was a good year for Heathrow from a challenging start to a great finish – We delivered much improved service for our customers, and managed to turn a small profit after three consecutive years of losses,” said Woldbye.
