Heathrow says 40-plus airlines are waiting for slots as runway debate returns

Heathrow Airport says more than 40 airlines are looking for slots there, a figure it presented as evidence that demand outruns the capacity the airport currently has. In comments published on October 12, 2026, management said carriers that cannot get in are turning to rival hubs abroad, which it said moves connectivity, trade and growth out of the UK.

The airport is making its case while parliament reviews the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement. Thomas Woldbye, the airport's chief executive, is due to give evidence to the Transport Select Committee later this week. He described the project as an investment in the country's competitiveness rather than simply one in an airport, and said other international hubs keep growing and adding routes.

Political support for a third runway remains unsettled. The Prime Minister gave an interview in September 2026 that was widely read as a refusal to endorse the plan, and London mayor Sadiq Khan has opposed expansion for years. Heathrow argues a larger airport would open room for new carriers and routes, sharpen competition and bring fares down.

A spokesperson said airports and airlines around the UK, among them Aberdeen, Belfast City, Cornwall Newquay, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle and Teesside, want expansion to go ahead quickly to improve links and support growth. The airport also said a widening group of politicians, unions, businesses, workers, regional airports and airlines backs the project, and cited polling indicating 68% of local residents favour moving it forward.