A decision on whether to approve the Gatwick project is expected from the government by February 27.
The Sussex airport wants to bring its existing second runway, currently used for taxiing planes and emergencies, into regular use for departures. It says this would involve moving the runway 12 metres north, as it is currently too close to the other runway for simultaneous use.
Heathrow’s plans for a third runway secured parliamentary approval in 2018, but were delayed by legal challenges over the environmental impact, and have officially been paused since the pandemic.
Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye recently said, however, that he hopes for a “positive indication” from ministers that the new government would support a third runway at the airport, which would give them the confidence to invest in getting the project off the ground again.
The question about what the Gatwick scheme could mean for Heathrow was raised at Mayor’s Question Time by Gareth Roberts, a Liberal Democrat on the London Assembly.
“Gatwick has an application for an additional runway,” said Roberts. “Should this be approved, do you feel that this will fill the need that Heathrow has got for additional capacity which they’re currently vying for?”
The mayor said he was “always careful not to be pitting one airport against the other”, but added: “Clearly, if Gatwick was to – in the hypothetical case – be given permission for a second runway, that makes it a slam dunk against any possibility of a third runway at Heathrow, even if there was a theoretical possibility of a third runway at Heathrow [in the first place].
Heathrow Airport argues expansion is key to boosting UK trade and economy
“I think it’s possible to understand the importance of aviation to our economy, but also recognise the crisis we face in terms of climate. You’ll be aware it’s not just climate, it’s also noise and air pollution as well.”
When he first ran for mayor in 2016, Sir Sadiq said he supported a second runway at Gatwick rather than a third at Heathrow. By 2022, however, the mayor adopted a more hostile attitude to airports overall, saying – in response to a question about Gatwick – that he “fail[s] to see how any airport expansion can be justified, being incompatible with achieving the UK’s net zero target”.
Responding to the Sir Sadiq’s comments last Thursday, a Heathrow spokesman said: “Heathrow is the best-connected airport in the world. That competitive advantage for UK plc already enables over £200bn of British trade annually. But growing the economy means adding capacity at the UK’s hub airport which is full.
“That’s why we’re planning to unlock capacity by improving and upgrading our existing infrastructure, while also looking at potential options to deliver a third runway at Heathrow in line with strict tests on carbon, noise and air quality.”
Gatwick has said its own plans will “inject an additional £1bn into the UK economy every year, and create 14,000 jobs across the UK”.
A spokesperson at the Department for Transport told the BBC last month: “We are committed to securing the long-term future of the UK’s aviation sector. But any expansion proposals must demonstrate they contribute to economic growth, which is a foundation of this government’s Plan for Change, while remaining in line with existing environmental obligations.” (Local Democracy Reporting Service)
The six-week-long Kumbh Mela began on January 13, with an estimated 400 million pilgrims expected to attend.
Amit Kumar, a senior police officer overseeing technology at the event, said AI systems are being used to avoid overcrowding in sensitive areas. “We want everyone to go back home happily after having fulfilled their spiritual duties,” he told AFP.
India has a history of fatal crowd disasters at religious festivals. The Kumbh Mela has witnessed such tragedies in the past, including the deaths of over 400 people in a single day in 1954 and 36 fatalities in 2013 in Prayagraj, the current host city.
Organisers hope the technology will help prevent deadly stampedes, a recurring issue at large-scale religious events in the country. (Photo: Reuters)
This year, around 300 cameras and drones have been deployed to monitor crowd movement across the festival grounds and access routes.
A command and control room near the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers uses AI to analyse footage and provide real-time crowd estimates.
“We can look at the entire Kumbh Mela from here,” Kumar said, explaining that the system tracks crowd density and raises alarms when certain thresholds are breached.
The AI system uses data from cameras, drones, and transport operators to calculate crowd flows and density.
“We are using AI to track people flow, crowd density at various inlets, adding them up and then interpolating from there,” Kumar added.
The Kumbh Mela, rooted in Hindu mythology, is a massive event with crowds that organisers compare to the combined populations of the US and Canada.
A drone equipped with AI, used by the police to monitor the crowd, takes flight during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj on January 17, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
Six million devotees participated in ritual bathing on the festival’s first day.
Kumar noted that some crowding is unavoidable, given the cultural differences in personal space expectations.
“The standard in the West is three people per square foot, but we can afford to go several times higher than that,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh state chief minister Yogi Adityanath described the event as a blend of faith and modernity, highlighting the role of technology in ensuring safety.
Harshit Joshi, a pilgrim at the festival, said, “The fact that there are cameras and drones makes us feel safe.”
(With inputs from AFP)
