Heathrow says more than 40 airlines want slots as expansion push grows

Heathrow Airport says more than 40 airlines are currently seeking slots, as it intensifies its case for a third runway. According to AeroTime, airport management made the claim on 12 October 2026, arguing that demand for access exceeds available capacity.

Heathrow's argument

AeroTime reports that Heathrow says capacity limits push airlines to "choose competing hubs overseas", which it says takes connectivity, trade and growth opportunities away from the UK. The airport argues that a larger Heathrow would make room for new airlines and routes, increase competition and bring down fares.

A Heathrow spokesperson said airlines and airports across the UK, including Aberdeen, Belfast City, Cornwall Newquay, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle and Teesside, want the airport to expand quickly to improve connectivity and enable growth. Heathrow also says a growing coalition of politicians, trade unions, businesses, workers, regional airports and airlines backs expansion, and cites polling that it says shows 68% of local people support progressing the project.

Political backdrop

AeroTime notes that in a September 2026 interview the UK Prime Minister appeared to decline to back a third runway. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has long criticised further expansion.

Later this week, Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye is due to give evidence to the Transport Select Committee's hearing on the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement, which Parliament is currently reviewing. Woldbye said private investment is available and that the Government has confirmed expansion can be delivered within net zero targets. "We are ready to deliver it," he said.

September traffic

Heathrow handled almost 7.2 million passengers in September 2026, a 2.3% fall on the same month a year earlier, according to the figures cited by AeroTime. Travel to the Middle East dropped by 20%, while flights to and from Asia-Pacific increased. Almost 1.4 million of the passengers were transfer passengers. Cargo volumes rose 5% year on year, and more than 84 million passengers used the airport over the past 12 months.

What this means for travellers

Nothing changes immediately. A third runway is not approved, and the policy statement is still under parliamentary review, so any new routes or lower fares that Heathrow predicts would depend on a project that is years from delivery. In the meantime, slot scarcity at Heathrow remains, which the airport says limits choice and competition. Passengers connecting via London may see more Asia-Pacific options, given the growth reported in September, while Middle East travel was weaker. The sources do not say which airlines are seeking slots or what routes they would launch.

Sources: AeroTime.