Heathrow Expects Third Runway to Support at Least 50,000 Local Jobs by 2055, Plus New Skills Programmes

Building a third runway at Heathrow is expected to support at least 50,000 jobs in the local area by 2055, a projection Heathrow published on 19 October 2026 alongside new skills programmes for young people and local job seekers. These are forecast jobs that depend on the proposed expansion proceeding, not job openings. The plan covers 33,000 jobs in Heathrow's nine local boroughs, in addition to at least 17,500 jobs during the peak of construction, and the airport has pledged 5,000 youth apprenticeships, traineeships, and other pathways for young people. For Metaintro readers who live near the airport or work in construction and aviation trades, this guide explains where the jobs are expected, which skills schemes exist now, what the planning timeline looks like, and how to get in line early.

What Exactly Did Heathrow Announce?

The headline is a local jobs forecast. In Heathrow's forecast, expansion plans are expected to unlock at least 50,000 jobs in the communities around Heathrow, with a horizon of 2055 for the local area figure.

In TravelWires' reading, the 33,000 jobs across nine neighbouring local authority areas and the at least 17,500 jobs during the peak of construction relate to different phases of the project, rather than a single total of permanent airport roles.

The jobs news came with a package of skills and business measures. Heathrow plans a refreshed in-person work experience programme for local students within the next year, a new annual careers event for job seekers in the local community in March 2027, a role in the new West London Construction Training Excellence Centre, and an expanded SME Academy for small suppliers.

The announcements come as Heathrow launches its Economic Development Framework, a roadmap for how Heathrow expansion will deliver growth locally and nationwide.

Which Local Areas Are the 33,000 Jobs Expected In?

The 33,000 figure refers to jobs expected to be located within Heathrow's Core Study Area. That area comprises Hillingdon, Hounslow, Ealing, Spelthorne, Slough, Runnymede, Windsor and Maidenhead, Buckinghamshire and Elmbridge.

If you live in one of those nine places, you are inside the Core Study Area used for the 33,000 figure.

In August, Runnymede Borough Council invited residents to take part in the government's consultation. Runnymede sits within Heathrow's wider area of influence, and its residents may have particular interests in economic opportunities associated with any future airport expansion as well as noise, traffic and air quality.

What Kinds of Jobs Will Construction Bring?

Heathrow's list of new local jobs during construction of a third runway covers engineering, digital, logistics, airport operations, electrical installation, carpentry and joinery and construction.

Electrical installation is on that list, so if it appeals, read up on how to become an electrician and what the apprenticeship involves before you choose a course.

Heathrow's July 2025 apprenticeship release lists roles that will be available to apprentices, including quantity surveying, quality assurance, building and energy management, electrical installations, carpentry, site supervision and data analytics, under a pledge that brings together companies across the airport's construction and infrastructure supply chain.

Getting onto the career ladder begins in primary school classrooms and needs constant momentum, Becky Coffin, Director of Communities and Residential Property at Heathrow, said, according to the Heathrow expansion jobs release.

What Are the Skills Programmes, and Who Are They For?

Heathrow set out these skills measures on 19 October 2026.

• Youth apprenticeships and pathways. Heathrow plans to deliver 5,000 youth apprenticeships, traineeships, and other pathways for young people linked to expansion. No start date, employer list or application route for these places has been published in the release.
• Work experience for students. Within the next year Heathrow will launch a refreshed in-person work experience programme for local students, which will be scaled up year on year and adapted using participant feedback.
• A careers event for local job seekers. In March 2027, during National Careers Week, Heathrow will launch a new annual careers event that will bring together employers across the airport to showcase the full breadth of careers linked to Heathrow.
• Construction training. Heathrow will play a key role in the new West London Construction Training Excellence Centre, one of 10 centres being established nationally by the Department for Education.

Heathrow links the work experience plan to a challenge set out by Alan Milburn, who is leading the Government's independent review into young people and work. As Heathrow sets out Milburn's challenge, young people are lacking meaningful exposure and access to the workplace and employers who open doors for them. That review covers the increase in the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), and its interim findings were published on 28 May 2026.

The training centre links to a national programme. The Department for Education's June 2025 guidance set out plans for establishing 10 technical excellence colleges specialising in construction in the 2025 to 2026 academic year. Applications for that status closed on Friday 4 July 2025.

The skills council brings the training side together. Heathrow chaired the first meeting of the Heathrow Infrastructure Skills Council, which brings together unions, colleges and training partners to prepare workers for the proposed third runway, and Lord Blunkett is its co-chair.

How Does the Heathrow Academy Help Job Seekers Today?

You do not have to wait for the runway to use the airport's skills service. The Heathrow Employment and Skills Academy offers free in-person support and advice to job seekers and young people, and it is available for all ages.

On the Heathrow Academy careers site, job seekers get free access to careers information, advice and guidance, the Heathrow careers and essential skills workshops, exclusive job fairs and open days and job brokerage support that matches your skills to openings across the airport.

The Academy has published its own results. In December 2024 it marked two decades of service, and over 10,000 people have received a job offer or been upskilled through apprenticeships following its support. It also delivered 4,500 in person work experience days to young people in the four years before that release.

Listings on the Heathrow Academy's current jobs board show what some airport roles pay. A Bartender role in British Airways lounges is advertised at £14.91 an hour, a Prep Chef (Cook) role at £14.62 an hour, and a Line Chef role at £12.97 to £16.04 an hour, plus Tronc. A CCDO Demolition Operative role, in the construction category, lists its pay only as Competitive. These are individual listings on the current Academy jobs board, not pay rates for future expansion jobs.

What Is the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme?

Heathrow already runs a scheme that predates the new pledge. In July 2025, Heathrow pledged to have 500 local apprentices through its shared apprenticeship scheme by 2030.

Heathrow's July 2025 figures show that 157 apprentices had enrolled in the scheme since 2018, with 49 already completing their apprenticeship.

It is designed for people living near the airport. The scheme is aimed specifically at Heathrow's local community and the airport's nine surrounding boroughs, and Heathrow describes it as a way for students or those looking for a career change later in life to make the most of living next to the airport. Apprentices are hosted by a range of employers at the airport and funded by Heathrow.

Where Does the Third Runway Stand in Planning?

A Department for Transport spokesperson's September statement to Sky News was that there is currently no live planning application for a third runway.

In October, lawmakers were still scrutinising the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement. The government published the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement on 18 June 2026, and if finalised its policies will apply to applications for development consent for a new Northwest Runway at Heathrow Airport. Public responses to that consultation had to be submitted by 1 September 2026.

Parliament was reviewing the project in October. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declined to back Heathrow's plans to build a third runway, saying it was a matter for people living near the airport.

Heathrow aims to get planning permission by 2029, and in September Heathrow flagged that the runway could be delayed until 2039. Sky News coverage went further, stating the runway has been delayed by four years, past the 2035 deadline set by then-chancellor Rachel Reeves.

There is currently no live planning application for a third runway, a Department for Transport spokesperson said in September, according to Sky News, carried by Classic FM.

How Do the Local and National Job Figures Fit Together?

Heathrow has published two different job numbers, and they measure different things. In the national figure, published in September 2026, expansion is expected to unlock over 108,000 jobs across every nation and region, spanning construction, engineering and apprenticeship opportunities for young people. The local figure, published on 19 October 2026, covers at least 50,000 jobs in the local area by 2055.

The 33,000 jobs in the local figure are expected to be located in the nine boroughs of the Core Study Area, while in Heathrow's words the national benefits will be felt in factories, businesses and communities across every region of the country.

In an October statement, Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye argued the expansion would unlock more than 100,000 jobs and £33 billion ($43.74 billion) of private investment across the UK. Sky News coverage recalls that the government backed a runway it believed could create 100,000 jobs. All of these are forecasts from the airport or ministers, not counts of jobs created.

In Heathrow's projection, once operational, a third runway will increase capacity up to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers. The government's preferred scheme would add 260,000 flights a year to and from Heathrow.

What Support Is There for Small Local Businesses?

Supplier contracts are another route to work. Heathrow plans an expanded SME Academy to help more small businesses benefit from what Heathrow calls the billions of private investment the project will unlock.

The existing Lift Off programme gives a sense of how this works. Businesses can pitch products directly to Heathrow directors and major suppliers, and in Heathrow's release, InventRite founder Paul Cole credits Lift Off as the way his company met Ferrovial Construction.

The next big supplier date is fixed. Heathrow's next Business Summit will be hosted at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Wednesday 25 November, with registration due to open shortly.

What Does Local Support for Expansion Look Like?

Heathrow points to polling. Heathrow cites polling of more than 9,000 residents across nine local boroughs that found 68% support the expansion, driven by employment and economic opportunities.

That figure comes from Heathrow. In July, Wandsworth Council warned residents it is likely that Wandsworth will experience significantly more flights overhead if a third runway is approved.

Every local job figure is conditional. The projections depend on the proposed expansion proceeding.

What This Means for Local Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

The at least 50,000 local jobs by 2055 are a long-range forecast, and in September the Department for Transport's position was that there was no live planning application for it. The pieces you can act on are the training and careers steps, which do not wait for the runway.

• Use the Academy now. The Heathrow Academy careers site lists current airport jobs, most with advertised pay, and offers free workshops, job fairs and job brokerage support, so you can start building an airport work history today.
• Pick a trade on the list. Heathrow named engineering, digital, logistics, airport operations, electrical installation, carpentry and joinery and construction as construction-phase jobs. Training in one of these fields matches the list Heathrow published.
• Watch for the work experience launch. If you are a student in the local area, the refreshed in-person work experience programme is due within the next year.
• Put March 2027 in your diary. The new annual careers event during National Careers Week is a planned yearly showcase of airport employers for local job seekers.
• Track the policy statement. In October lawmakers were still scrutinising the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement, and in September Heathrow flagged that the runway could be delayed until 2039, so treat expansion jobs as a long-term goal, not a next-month plan.

If you are applying for your first airport role, start with how to make a resume for your first job with no work experience.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many jobs will Heathrow's third runway create locally?

A: Heathrow expects a third runway to support at least 50,000 jobs in the local area by 2055, made up of jobs in nine local boroughs and jobs at the peak of construction. It is a forecast that depends on the proposed expansion proceeding.

Q: When will Heathrow's third runway be built?

A: Heathrow aims to get planning permission by 2029, and in September Heathrow said the runway could be delayed until 2039. In September a Department for Transport spokesperson said there was no live planning application for a third runway.

Q: How can I get a job or apprenticeship at Heathrow now?

A: The Heathrow Academy careers site lists current airport vacancies and offers free advice, workshops and job fairs, and Heathrow's shared apprenticeship scheme is aimed specifically at Heathrow's local community and the airport's nine surrounding boroughs.

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