A rival to Heathrow could build and operate a third runway at the west London airport in a “first” for Britain, says aviation minister Mike Kane.
The Government has invited potential promoters of another runway at Heathrow to come forward with plans this summer.
Airlines have criticised Heathrow for not operating the airport in the most cost-effective way.
If a rival to Heathrow was chosen for the third runway it would introduce competition at the airport.
In an interview with The Standard, Mr Kane said: “We have asked for Heathrow or a third party to come forward with potential third runway proposal this summer.
“We will see what happens in the market.
“It’s not unusual with other airports across the world to have different operators operating different bits of the airport.
“If this were to happen it would be a first.”
The Government hopes that a third runway will be operational by 2035 to help to achieve its No1 priority of getting economic growth.
But Mr Kane stressed economic benefits from expanding the west London airport were already happening.
“They are already starting to kick in, design teams are being procured, work is being done, the Department is gearing up,” he said.
He added that the additional runway was not a “taxpayers’ project” but declined to say if Heathrow shareholders, airlines or passengers should foot the bill which is reported to have ballooned from £14 billion to between £42 billion and £63 billion.
He also rejected a previous warning by ex-Transport Secretary Justine Greening that allowing Heathrow flights to rise from 480,000 to 720,000 a year, or 50%, with an extra runway would increase the risk of a “catastrophic” incident over London, even if the probability of this happening was very low.
“Our first priority is safety always and this will be designed with safety in mind,” Mr Kane stressed.
“We would not take any risk with more flights.”
Mr Kane on Monday unveiled a shake-up of UK airspace which will focus on London, with legislation in place by the end of the year, so it is ready for a third runway development.
The work by the UK Airspace Design Service is expected to cost the equivalent of 5p per plane ticket.
But the aviation minister stressed the reforms would benefit passengers by cutting costs with more efficient and direct routes leading to “huge carbon and therefore fuel savings”.
The changes could see planes climb more steeply on take-off, which could lead to more noise very close to airports but less further away, descend more quietly and navigate more accurately around populated areas.
They could also lead to far fewer aircraft stacking as they wait to land at Heathrow and other airports.
Mr Kane said: “The problem we have at the moment, particularly in the South East, is planes take-off, they plateau, they rise again, they plateau, they rise again, that’s what leads to more noise and more emissions.
“It’s less noise overall to go straight up.”
Mr Kane said the Government was pressing ahead with legislation to get airlines to use more SAF and for suppliers to build capacity.
But an analysis by Dr Rick Lupton, a senior lecturer in the University of Bath’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, has assessed that a third runway would increase global warming emissions from Heathrow by around 30 per cent.
