Hotel tycoon announces expansion plan for Heathrow Airport which includes shorter third runway

Hotel tycoon Surinder Arora has put forward an expansion plan for Heathrow which rivals that by the airport's owners.

The billionaire's Arora Group said they are proposing a shorter new runway which would avoid the costly need to divert the M25 motorway while being able to accommodate aircraft of all sizes. The company said building a 2,800-metre third runway, instead of the full-length 3,500-metre runway planned by the airport, would result in "reduced risk" and avoid "spiralling cost".

Arora Group's Heathrow West proposal states the new runway could be fully operational by 2035. The plan rivals one by the airport's own owners, which will be submitted to the government on Thursday, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave her backing for a third runway during a speech in January.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will then review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision-making on any Development Consent Order application. The plan by the hotel tycoon's company also includes building a new terminal which would open in two phases, in 2036 and 2040.

The proposal, developed with infrastructure company Bechtel, has a cost estimate of under £25bn, not including the redevelopment of the airport's existing central area. Read more:Who's behind these Heathrow leaflets?A long history of Heathrow's third runway plans 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, which directly meets and supports the United Kingdom's primary objective of unlocking economic growth at the UK's only hub airport, with a strong commitment of doing so on-budget and on-time.

"The Arora Group has a proven track record of delivering on-time and on-budget projects including in and around Heathrow airport. "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.".