Heathrow expansion: How plan for third runway could become a political football again

Politics Explained: Plans may have been filed for the airport, but that may change if MPs push back against development again

Finally, after decades of prevarication, talk of airport expansion in southeast England looked as though it was turning in to action. At 8am on Tuesday 18 June, Heathrow filed its flight plan for developing a third runway. It revealed the intention to increase flights by up to 10 per hour even before the new strip is completed, and the ambition to raise passenger numbers by 77 per cent ultimately to 170,000 a day.

One primary school, 761 family homes and three sets of allotments will be demolished and relocated. Or will they?

“A third runway will fail both London and the UK on every level,” said Boris Johnson, the man likely to become prime minister.