Heathrow Airport Reveals Expansion Plans in Anticipation of Third Runway
In advance of the planned third runway expected to open by 2026, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) has unveiled a long-term masterplan to expand the airport to cope with the increased flights the third runway will bring.
This plan, which has already been approved by the British parliament, is expected to be complete by 2050. A new runway bridge will be built over the M25 motorway which will provide spectacular views of the world's biggest aircraft at Europe's busiest airport while motorists drive underneath. It presents significant engineering and design challenges given the weight of these fully-laden planes. The M25, which is Britain's busiest motorway, will move up to 150 metres west to accommodate the third runway.
Terminals 2 (Star Alliance) and 5 (British Airways and Iberia) will be extended in a 'toaster rack' design with central check-in areas followed by many rows of piers of gates. There will also be an enormous new 24,000 capacity carpark in the Sipson town area.
The frustrating curfew will remain, with a 6.5 hour ban on scheduled flights each evening. The masterplan sees the introduction of a vehicle access charge for the airport precinct, as already introduced in Central London.
The plan is now under a three months public consultation. Heathrow Airport insists that the expansion "must not come at any cost," so they will work closely with local communities to ensure growth is sustainable and responsible. There are plenty who are opposed to the expansion, from local residents to environmentalists. Boris Johnson, the current front-runner to become the next Prime Minister, was a vocal opponent of the airport's expansion though he has now signaled that he will not oppose the plans given they have already been approved by Parliament.
The expansion costs are estimated by Heathrow airport to cost £14 billion in total, although opponents say this figure will be closer to £30 billion.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month