Expansion of London's Heathrow Airport delayed once again

LONDON

A decision to expand Europe’s busiest airport has been delayed once again following the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union.

U.K. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the political fallout from the Brexit vote, including Prime Minister David Cameron’s resignation, meant the decision on a new runway at London Heathrow Airport could not be taken for several months.

“I had hoped that we would be able to announce a decision on airport capacity this summer,” he told parliament on Thursday morning. “Given recent events, I cannot now foresee an announcement until at least October.”

Heathrow is competing with Gatwick Airport, in the south of London, for permission to expand capacity by building a new runway.

In 2014, Heathrow lost its mantle as the world’s busiest international airport to Dubai.

But London politicians, environmentalists and residents living around the airport have strongly opposed expansion, saying it would increase noise and air pollution, and have called for the more rural Gatwick to be enlarged instead.

The air travel industry has been waiting for the U.K. government to decide between the two since last summer, when an independent body recommended picking Heathrow.