The Conservative Party has pledged to introduce emergency legislation to expedite the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport if it returns to power. Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith is set to make the airport expansion a central theme in his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference this week in Birmingham, emphasizing a commitment to remove obstacles delaying the project.

Griffith is expected to assert that a future Conservative government will take decisive action to end the protracted delays surrounding Heathrow’s expansion. His remarks will highlight a willingness to employ exceptional parliamentary measures, including a single-day legislative session similar to the one used by the previous Labour government to nationalize British Steel in April last year. The aim would be to accelerate approval and construction processes for the new runway, which Heathrow officials say faces a four-year setback.

The planned third runway has long been a contentious subject in British politics, with debates centering on environmental concerns and local opposition. The project has been stalled for decades amid political disagreements, with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson among its notable detractors. This week’s announcement signals a shift in approach from the Conservative leadership, focusing on the economic benefits Heathrow expansion could bring—such as cheaper flights, stronger international connections, and increased exports of high-value British goods.

Heathrow Airport chief executive Thomas Woldbye welcomed the Conservatives’ stronger support for the project, describing it as a “can do” consensus that recognizes the airport’s potential to drive growth nationwide. Woldbye emphasized that Heathrow expansion has been “Britain’s great unfinished project” for decades and called the current moment an opportunity to transform long-standing ambitions into a lasting national achievement.

The project’s future remains uncertain, as the prime minister and cabinet members declined to comment on the third runway during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool earlier this month. Nevertheless, the Tory plans for emergency legislation signal a new effort to push through what supporters say could bolster the UK’s infrastructure and economic prospects. Heathrow and its investors have expressed readiness to collaborate with politicians across party lines to finally advance the expansion.