London Heathrow Reveals Final Plans for Controversial Expansion

London Heathrow’s new third runway should be open by about 2026.

The airport, which is seeking to remain competitive with rivals in Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, has just revealed final plans for the controversial runway, according to Bloomberg.

Plans call for finishing the project at Europe’s busiest hub by 2050. An ultra-low emission zone and a 6.5-hour ban on scheduled night flights are also part of the proposed plans, according to Bloomberg.

The plan has met with much criticism from politicians and activists including environmental groups that sought to block construction, arguing that it violated the U.K.’s climate change policy and furthermore, didn’t take account of the Paris climate accord.

Judges, however, threw out lawsuits filed by Friends of the Earth, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and other groups that were challenging the U.K. government approval of the plan, a separate Bloomberg article reported.

Extinction Rebellion had planned to protest this week but scrapped the effort. A 12-week consultation opened to the public on Tuesday. Final plans are expected to be presented to planning inspectors next year.