Campaigners opposing Gatwick Airport expansion have lost two High Court challenges against the government but have said they will consider an appeal.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander approved a £2.2bn plan in September to move Gatwick’s emergency runway 12 metres north, allowing a two-runway operation.
The anti-noise group Cagne and campaigner Peter Barclay told a hearing in January the scheme was unlawful, claiming the government had not properly assessed climate impact.
Ruling earlier, Mr Justice Mould dismissed both bids, concluding the scheme would not “materially impact” the government’s ability to meet net zero targets – a decision London Gatwick called a “victory for common sense”.
The Department for Transport (DfT) and the airport’s owner, Gatwick Airport Limited, had defended the challenge, with lawyers for the site claiming it was “unarguable”.
The scheme is expected to increase Gatwick’s capacity from about 280,000 flights a year currently, to 389,000 by the late 2030s.
Travel journalist Simon Calder said the expansion of Gatwick Airport was “the first meaningful airport expansion in decades”.
“Certainly for the economy of the Gatwick area, and for travellers in south east England, this is nothing but an overwhelming positive,” he added.