BBC London Political Editor<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Hotel tycoon Surinder Arora has announced he is submitting a Heathrow expansion plan which rivals a proposal from the airport’s owners.<\/p>\n The billionaire’s Arora Group said the “primary benefit” of the plan it submitted to the government was a shorter new runway which would avoid the costly and disruptive need to divert the M25 motorway.<\/p>\n Building a 2,800-metre (9,200 ft) third runway instead of the full-length 3,500-metre (11,500 ft) runway planned by the airport would result in “reduced risk” and avoid “spiralling cost”, the company said.<\/p>\n The airport declined to comment on the Arora Group’s proposal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A shorter runway could have limits on its use, although Arora Group insisted it would be able to accommodate aircraft of all sizes.<\/p>\n The announcement means that for the first time, there will be two bids on the table to build a third runway at Heathrow. <\/p>\n Arora Group said its plan, called Heathrow West, could have a new runway fully operational by 2035, while a new terminal would open in two phases, in 2036 and 2040.<\/p>\n The plan, developed with infrastructure company Bechtel, has a cost estimate of under \u00a325 billion, not including the redevelopment of the airport’s existing central area.<\/p>\n Heathrow said in 2018 it could complete its runway for \u00a314 billion, but it is now expected to cost billions more.<\/p>\n In June, the government invited competing proposals<\/a> for Heathrow’s expansion and set a deadline of 31 July.<\/p>\n Mr Arora, who is one of the largest landowners at Heathrow, said: “After a decade working with our world-leading design and delivery team, I am very proud that the Arora Group can finally unveil to the UK government our Heathrow West proposal.<\/p>\n “The Arora Group has a proven track record of delivering on-time and on-budget projects including in and around Heathrow airport.<\/p>\n “We are delighted that the government has taken a common-sense approach to invite proposals from all interested parties for the very first time rather than granting exclusivity to the current airport operator, no matter its track record.”<\/p>\n Mr Arora has repeatedly accused the airport of wasting money.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Carlton Brown, CEO of Heathrow West, said the new company would be able to dedicate time and focus to the expansion while working with stakeholders including airlines, communities and business.<\/p>\n “Ultimately, I want to see Heathrow help Britain become the best-connected nation in the world and facilitate the trade and inward investment our UK economy needs,” he said.<\/p>\n In December 2024, French company Ardian completed a deal to become Heathrow’s largest shareholder with a 23% stake, while Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund purchased a 15% share.<\/p>\n Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave her backing for a third runway in a speech on growth in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n Heathrow will submit its own expansion plan to the government on Thursday.<\/p>\n It had planned to create a third runway by rerouting the M25 motorway between junctions 14 and 15 through a tunnel under the new runway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After receiving the proposals, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will review the Airports National Policy Statement<\/a>, which provides the basis for decision-making on any Development Consent Order application.<\/p>\n Heathrow is understood to be open to a discussion with airlines about building a shorter runway if it can deliver the same benefits.<\/p>\n If expanded, the number of flights at Heathrow Airport could go up to 720,000 – or nearly 2,000 a day on average. They are currently capped at 480,000 a year.<\/p>\n Heathrow told the BBC that it would eventually be able to serve up to 140 million passengers a year once a third runway was in operation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Paul McGuinness, chair of the No 3rd Runway Coalition, said they were concerned that thousands of people would have to be rehomed for the plans to move forward.<\/p>\n He added: “There’s a real danger that we’ll end up with a hole in the ground and a debt pile for taxpayers to underwrite, because the government had foolishly encouraged Heathrow’s profligate self-interest, as if blind to the lessons of HS2.”<\/p>\n In the past, the cost, the Covid pandemic and legal challenges have all got in the way of any development. <\/p>\n A third runway was first proposed in 2009 by Gordon Brown’s Labour government but was only finally given the go-ahead by the Supreme Court in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dr Douglas Parr, policy director for Greenpeace UK, said the government had “decided yet again to prioritise more leisure opportunities for a comparatively small group of frequent fliers, whilst the rest of us have to live with the consequences of their disproportionate polluting”.<\/p>\n He added: “If the government really wants a credible, properly sustainable aviation policy it needs to introduce a frequent flier levy so that the wealthy binge fliers pay their fair share.<\/p>\n “No expansion should take place until the proposed technical fixes to the pollution problem are more than just hopeful marketing spin.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The last bid fell apart<\/a> partly by a legal challenge from five local councils and the mayor of London. <\/p>\n Several members of the current government – including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – voted against a Heathrow expansion when in opposition.<\/p>\n But Sir Keir told the BBC although the government had climate commitments, “growth is really important too”.<\/p>\n Asked in January this year, when the government announced it was in favour of a third runway, London’s mayor Sir Sadiq Khan refused to rule out joining any future legal challenge to expansion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Arora](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/de1c\/live\/059aa100-6d4b-11f0-907e-6f408d8b44f9.jpg.webp\")
Arora Group<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/static.files.bbci.co.uk\/bbcdotcom\/web\/20250728-162205-9b8a2dcb37-web-2.26.0-8\/grey-placeholder.png\")
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Arora Group<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Map](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/033c\/live\/6e259d30-df19-11ef-a819-277e390a7a08.png.webp\")
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Arora Group<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘Disproportionate polluting’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
‘Growth is important’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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