UK Regional Airports Back Heathrow Third Runway as Heathrow and RABA Sign Domestic Connectivity MoU
Why It MattersA united regional front gives expansion supporters a nationwide case, framing hub capacity as a domestic connectivity issue, not only a London one, as Heathrow's constrained slots squeeze domestic routes.
Airports from every nation and region of the UK have confirmed their support for a third runway at Heathrow Airport (LHR), as Heathrow and the UK Regional and Business Airports Group (RABA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on domestic connectivity. RABA represents nearly 40 smaller regional and business airports across the UK. The MoU affirms a joint commitment to ensure airports and communities across the country benefit from expansion, which Heathrow describes as a fully privately financed national project. Airports from Belfast to Newcastle and from Inverness to Newquay are urging the Government to move forward so that the UK's hub connectivity remains competitive.
Heathrow said almost 5 million passengers travelled on its 13 domestic routes in 2025, supporting an estimated £1.2bn in gross tourism spending across the country. It said the airport has been full for many years, so domestic routes must compete for scarce slots alongside more lucrative international services. When domestic connections are lost, passengers rely on indirect routes via overseas hubs, moving the benefits of connectivity away from the UK. Despite these constraints, Heathrow said it has supported domestic routes through significant discounts and close partnerships with airports.
Nigel Milton, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Heathrow, said the airport is no longer called London Heathrow because it is the UK's hub airport, and that when Heathrow grows, so do opportunities for other airports across the country. He said a stronger domestic route network into Heathrow can only come with the growth a third runway would deliver. RABA Group Chair Neil Pakey said expansion would offer a significant boost to the UK and that direct connections to Heathrow are a vital gateway to international markets for smaller regional airports, supporting local businesses, jobs and economic growth. He urged the Government to maintain momentum and deliver the project.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Newcastle International Airport, Belfast City Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport and Cornwall Airport Newquay have also offered their support. In a joint statement they said that while Heathrow is full it blocks the domestic and international connectivity on which inward investment, tourism and exports rely, and urged the Government to move forward at pace to approve Heathrow's private investment in new capacity.
