# Healey backs Heathrow third runway as Burnham stays silent

> The chancellor endorses the £33bn project on growth grounds, but the prime minister has avoided committing to it.
- Title: Healey backs Heathrow third runway as Burnham stays silent
- Summary: The chancellor endorses the £33bn project on growth grounds, but the prime minister has avoided committing to it. Chancellor John Healey backed the Heathrow…
- Keywords: heathrow third runway, john healey, andy burnham, heathrow airport, uk infrastructure, economic growth, news, world, Healey, backs, Heathrow, third
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/16/healey-pro-growth-heathrow-third-runway-burnham
- Published: 2026-10-16T21:30:12+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: heathrow third runway, john healey, andy burnham, heathrow airport, uk infrastructure, economic growth, news, world
## Healey makes the growth case
Chancellor John Healey said there is a pro-growth case for a third runway at Heathrow, arguing airports have been a big part of jobs and growth across the UK.

> they have been a big part of jobs and growth. And the case for a third runway at Heathrow has always been a case for growth
## Burnham ducks the question
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has avoided backing the runway since arriving in No 10 in July, suggesting it should be a matter for London and Londoners.

> a matter for London and Londoners
## Investors growing impatient
Heathrow's chief executive Thomas Woldbye warned that investors could reassess their backing for the thirty three billion pound project if it does not receive the prime minister's support.

> Our shareholders would like to do this. They do think that things are taking a long time
## Shareholders to decide soon
The airport's owners include Qatar's investment authority, French private equity firm Ardian, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Singapore's GIC. They are expected to decide in coming months whether to apply for formal planning permission.
## Key takeaway

Chancellor John Healey backed the Heathrow third runway as a growth project this week, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declined to support it, leaving the airport's investors uncertain.