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.