# Heathrow Expansion Aims to Alleviate Air Freight Bottleneck **Category:** Industry News | **Source:** Frachtportal Redaktion | **Published:** 2026-06-19 | **Updated:** 2026-06-20 **Tags:** London Heathrow, Heathrow Ausbau, Luftfracht England, Luftfracht LHR, Airfreight LHR, Airfreight London Heathrow, Cargo Kapazität, Freight News, Airfreight News, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Seefracht, Luftfracht, Schienentransport > The United Kingdom is advancing the expansion of Heathrow. A third runway and new cargo facilities are set to create additional space for air freight and increase connectivity. --- Those who regularly handle air freight via London Heathrow are familiar with the problem: The airport is practically full. Additional flights and new connections are difficult to plan. The British government therefore published a new policy framework for the expansion of Heathrow on June 18, 2026. The focus is on a third runway in the northwest of the airport. This is important for air freight. Heathrow is not only a major passenger airport but also by far the most important air freight location in Great Britain. In 2024, around 1.6 million tons of cargo were processed there. This corresponds to about 60 percent of the total air freight at British airports. Many shipments are not flown in pure freight aircraft but in the cargo holds of passenger planes. More passenger flights therefore usually mean more space for air freight. The planned expansion could enable up to 276,000 additional aircraft movements per year. Additionally, new freight facilities and storage areas are planned. Heathrow itself expects to be able to increase the existing cargo capacity by up to 50 percent. This could be particularly interesting for pharmaceuticals, express shipments, spare parts, machinery, and other time-sensitive goods. However, in the short term, the new draft does not solve any problems. It is still just the political and planning framework. The public consultation runs until September 2026. A final planning decision is currently expected to be made only in 2029. After that, the third runway will still need to be constructed. So, it will take several more years before additional capacity is actually available. From a freight forwarder's perspective, the direction is still correct. Heathrow needs more space. At the same time, however, road connections, customs clearance, storage areas, and handling processes must also grow accordingly. An additional runway alone does not move a pallet through the airport any faster. --- For shippers and freight forwarders, the decision does not yet bring additional flight slots. In the short term, capacity, slots, and handling at Heathrow remain tight. In the long term, however, the expansion could provide more direct connections and increased cargo space. This would be particularly interesting for time-sensitive and high-value goods. When planning, one should not only focus on Heathrow. Depending on the shipment, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, East Midlands, or other UK airports can also be an alternative. In short: The expansion is an important step. However, it will still take time before the air freight bottleneck truly decreases. --- The British government published the new NPS draft on June 18, 2026. NPS stands for National Policy Statement and outlines the political and planning framework for major projects. A new runway, approximately 3,500 meters long, is planned northwest of the airport. The expansion could allow for up to 276,000 additional flight movements per year. Heathrow handled about 1.6 million tons of air freight in 2024. This accounted for approximately 60 percent of the air freight volume across all British airports. Goods valued at around £216 billion passed through Heathrow in 2024. New and expanded cargo facilities are part of the expansion plan. Heathrow is referring to a potential increase in cargo capacity of up to 50 percent. The public consultation is ongoing until September 1, 2026. A final planning decision is aimed for 2029. The expansion has not yet been finally approved. --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/heathrow-ausbau-soll-luftfracht-engpass-entschaerfen-20260619210058](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/heathrow-ausbau-soll-luftfracht-engpass-entschaerfen-20260619210058)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/heathrow-ausbau-soll-luftfracht-engpass-entschaerfen-20260619210058](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/heathrow-ausbau-soll-luftfracht-engpass-entschaerfen-20260619210058)*