With the busy Christmas season looming large, efficient departures and arrivals are high on everyone’s wish list.
As Heathrow airport prepares for what could be its busiest December on record – topping the previous high of 6.7 million in 2023 – the vital public piece of public transport infrastructure is looking to the future in a bid to ensure that it’s fit for use over the years to come.
One means of bolstering capacity is through private investment, and Heathrow has benefited from a whopping £2.3 billion sum from Saudi Arabia – marking the biggest-ever capital investment in UK transport from the private sector.
The sum will boost efficiency across all terminals through improved baggage systems, resurfacing of the northern runway and 140 advanced security scanners to enable more liquids to be carried onboard planes.
The upgrade could just be the tip of the iceberg for the West London airport’s future, however.
Saudi Arabia acquired a 15% stake in Heathrow through its Public Investment Fund just days ago after Spanish conglomerate Ferrovial sold all its shares in the transport hub earlier this year.
Ferrovial had held the bulk of shares in the airport since 2006, with the investor shuffle putting French private equity firm Ardian in the leading position, with a 23% stake.
Plans to build a third runway at Heathrow also gained parliamentary approval in 2018, with the slow progress so far potentially bolstered by the Labour government’s forward-thinking approach to planning.
A new runway could boost passenger capacity to 142 million a year, according to 2019 estimates – a steep rise from the 79 million recorded in 2023.
But Thomas Woldbye, chief executive of the airport, has said the scheme needs a “clear steer” from the government to spur momentum.
He also pointed to investment totalling £1.1 billion over the last year, including runway upgrades and new security measures.
“We will continue to invest more than £1 billion of private sector cash each year into the airport to deliver facilities our airlines and passengers want, while boosting the UK economy and creating opportunities for businesses up and down the country,” he told The Telegraph.
If plans for the new runway go ahead, Heathrow’s aging third terminal could be demolished, with a doubling in size of terminal 2 and a series of satellite terminals built between 2 and 5, connected by an underground train.
The Department for Transport has said the expansion “must demonstrate [a contribution] to economic growth”.
