Climate Advisers Say Third Heathrow Runway Should Only Proceed If Airlines Fund Cleaner Flying

The UK government's climate advisers have said a third runway at Heathrow Airport should only be approved if airlines contribute financially toward cleaner flying technology, according to a report by BBC Science & Environment.

The advisers reportedly concluded that the runway expansion cannot proceed under the government's current climate policies as they stand, raising questions about the long-debated project's compatibility with the UK's emissions targets.

According to the BBC, the advisers' position ties any approval of the expansion to airlines taking on greater financial responsibility for reducing the environmental impact of flying, though further details of the specific mechanisms or funding requirements were not immediately available.

Heathrow's third runway has faced years of political and legal debate, with previous court rulings and shifting government positions reflecting tension between economic growth ambitions and the UK's climate commitments.

The BBC report did not specify which climate body issued the advice, though the UK's statutory climate advisory body has previously weighed in on aviation expansion and its implications for national carbon budgets.

Neither Heathrow Airport nor the UK government had issued a public response to the advisers' position at the time of the report.