Heathrow runway expansion ‘could create the world’s most expensive £1,300,000 car park’

Heathrow’s third runway is a hotly discussed topic for Londoners and commuters alike.

The £49 billion airport expansion, which was backed by the Government last year,  would create at least 30 new daily routes and serve up to 150 million passengers, while the new runway could add 276,000 more flights each year, increasing the number from 480,000 to 756,000 annually, Heathrow said.

But now experts have said the investment in Heathrow could see the creation of the world’s most expensive car parking – with early estimates suggesting costs of more than £72,000 per space.

In the proposals, which were unveiled last year, Heathrow intends to combine 20 existing car parks into two multi-storey spaces that can hold up to 36,000 vehicles. 

Heathrow told The Times the new car parks would take up a whopping £1.3 billion of the budget, which would mean £36,000 per space.

But a leaked paper, shared with The Times, showed plans to create the car park, which contained a graphic stating the creation of the car parks would cost a total of £2.6 billion – meaning each space would cost £76,000.

But Heathrow has denied this, saying in a statement: ‘This is another misrepresentation of the facts.

‘We want to make it easier and more convenient for passengers and colleagues travelling to and from the airport and Heathrow expansion presents a unique opportunity to transform this.

‘Our proposal includes an estimated construction cost of £1.3 billion that would combine 20 current car parks into two dedicated parkways either side of the airport. 

‘Wider investments also include an overhaul of how passengers travel around the airport campus and a new parking, drop-off and bus facilities at Terminal 5.

‘Expansion and our wider plans to fully modernise Heathrow will create a hub fit for the future, giving passengers more choice, lower air fares and state of the art facilities.’ 

Last week, the airport’s boss warned it could lose its position as Europe’s busiest airport this year because of a lack of capacity and it desperately needs the third airport to keep its ranking.

Mr Woldbye said: ‘We remain Europe’s largest airport, but latest figures show we may lose that position in 2026 and we cannot keep driving growth for the UK economy without more capacity.

‘That’s why Heathrow expansion is so critical.

‘The decisions ministers and the CAA take this year are essential to enable the delivery of the UK’s flagship growth project, secure planning permission by 2029, and ensure the UK has the flight and cargo capacity that it deserves.’

Some 84.5 million passengers passed through the west London airport’s four terminals last year, a 0.7% increase from 83.9 million in 2024.

Its growth trails other European rivals because its two runways are full.

Heathrow’s passenger numbers were only narrowly ahead of Istanbul last year, which had 84.4 million passengers (up 5.5%).

Paris Charles de Gaulle was ranked third with 72.0 million passengers (up 2.5%), followed by Amsterdam Schiphol with 68.8 million passengers (up 2.9%) and Madrid with 68.1 million passengers (up 3.0%).

In January, Heathrow recorded 6.5 million passengers, a 2.0% increase from the same month in 2025.

Last year, the RAC revealed eleven out of the 20 UK airports increased their Kiss-and-fly prices, with Belfast City airport leading the trend with the steepest rise.

London Gatwick and Heathrow airports are some of the most expensive places to park in the drop-off zone, also known as ‘kiss and fly’, as they now cost £7 and £6 respectively to park for just a few minutes.

Elsewhere in the UK, Leeds Bradford, Bristol and Southampton have also all increased their fees since last year, meaning people are now paying £7 for the drop-off zone.

The RAC described the increase as the highest on record.

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