Heathrow expansion moves to statutory consultation after decade of delay

The UK government opened formal consultation on 18 June 2026 on the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement—the policy document that will frame any third runway application. This statutory process carries legal weight unlike previous iterations. A parliamentary vote will be required to designate the NPS, meaning the government must manage its own backbenches, particularly MPs representing constituencies under the planned flight path. The consultation window is finite; representations will form part of the formal record examined by the Planning Inspectorate.