Heathrow airport is already by far the largest airport in the London area, and they’re not done yet. The Airport Commission is pushing for a third runway at Heathrow in the near future. If this project is undergone, it would make Heathrow the busiest airport in all of Europe.
A third runway would mean significantly more capacity for planes both inbound and outbound; increasing Heathrow’s yearly flights by roughly 250,000. This would include extra room for shipping and also increase the number of destinations from Heathrow. This additional runway would increase London’s potential for international trade because of both the extra capacity and the new prospective partners. There have been predictions that roughly 70,000 new jobs could be created within the next 30 years if this addition is successful.
Multinational corporations would not be the only ones to benefit from the new runway, as small businesses would also reap the rewards of the expanded airport. The Federation of Small Businesses even goes as far as to say “without it, the long-term economic health of the UK is at risk”.
The huge expansion of Heathrow means that business as a whole in London will also be looking to expand, with some corporations growing, and others being newly established. The near future could potentially be one of the best times in recent history to either initiate or expand your small business!