Heathrow airport expansion proposals
On 18 June 2026 the Department for Transport (DfT) published the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS), which provides a framework for how expansion might be implemented.
This is a report on the Public Bill Committee Stage of the Civil Aviation Bill.
Civil Aviation Bill: Committee Stage Report (136KB PDF)
This paper is designed to complement Research Paper RP 12/07, which covers in more detail the background to the Bill. The provisions that were subject to the most debate were: the passenger versus the airline interest; security changes and associated costs; environmental duties for airports and the aviation industry more generally; financial oversight of the Civil Aviation Authority by the National Audit Office; inter-terminal competition; and general costs and charges.
Civil Aviation Bill: Committee Stage Report (136KB PDF)
On 18 June 2026 the Department for Transport (DfT) published the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS), which provides a framework for how expansion might be implemented.
The Civil Aviation Bill is going through Parliament. It gives more powers to the Civil Aviation Authority and modernises the UK's aviation regulatory framework
The 2025 Strategic Defence Review recommended the government explore options to create a new Reserve-style force to protect critical national infrastructure.