Government welcomes multibillion-pound Heathrow investment expected to secure thousands of steel jobs
Source: gov.uk (2025-02-11)

The Government has welcomed a multibillion-pound investment programme from Heathrow Airport which will help secure UK steel jobs.

- Heathrow Airport announces new multibillion-pound investment programme to expand airport, including new terminal buildings, aircraft stands, passenger infrastructure and work towards its third runway.
- Government welcomes major vote of confidence from Heathrow in its growth mission after backing a third runway, expected to secure thousands of steel jobs across the UK.
- Heathrow signs the UK Steel Charter and commits to using UK-made steel for its construction projects wherever possible, giving a major boost to the sector.
The Government has welcomed a new multibillion-pound investment programme from Heathrow Airport, which is expected to secure thousands of UK steel jobs across the country by driving a significant increase in demand for UK-made steel.

In the latest in a series of UK investment wins, Heathrow will invest billions in a new expansion programme for new terminal buildings, aircraft stands, passenger infrastructure and its third runway plans, marking a major vote of confidence in the Government’s plan for growth after the Chancellor confirmed the government’s backing for Heathrow’s expansion last month.

At an event hosted at British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant today (12 February) Heathrow will also sign the UK Steel Charter, which signals the airport’s commitment to use UK-made steel wherever possible as part of its investment programme.

The commitment represents a major win for the steel industry and will help secure thousands of existing steel jobs both at Scunthorpe and across the country. It will bring a huge increase in demand for UK-made steel to supply Heathrow’s expansion project.

By its completion in 2008, the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5 had required 80,000 tonnes of steel, and estimates suggest construction of a third runway could require 400,000 tonnes.

Industry Minister Sarah Jones is expected to give a keynote speech at Heathrow’s launch event today to welcome the announcement as a major step forward in the Government’s growth mission, with new investment crucial to kickstarting the UK’s economic growth and putting more money in people’s pockets, delivering on the Plan for Change.

Industry Minister Sarah Jones is expected to say:

This investment is the latest in a long line of wins which our Plan for Change has helped deliver, and not only secures thousands of jobs but marks a major vote of confidence in our homegrown steel sector and this government’s Industrial Strategy.

Driving demand for UK-made steel is a crucial part of our upcoming Steel Strategy, and by signing the Steel Charter Heathrow will give a huge boost to steelmaking communities across the UK and help us kickstart economic growth.

Alex Veitch, Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said:

Expanding capacity at Heathrow is a key part of accelerating economic growth – and today’s announcement is great news for British business.

It is real show of support for domestic steel production and supply chains across the UK. As further infrastructure projects are given the green light, many more opportunities can be seized to boost British business and drive forward growth.

Gareth Stace, Director-General, UK Steel said:

The UK steel industry welcomes Heathrow’s multi-billion-pound investment programme, a major boost for British businesses and a clear signal that the UK is open for growth. This transformative investment will upgrade vital infrastructure, create jobs, and strengthen the UK’s position as a global hub for trade and travel.

As part of this commitment, Heathrow has pledged to maximise the use of UK-made steel with the UK Steel Charter, ensuring that the benefits of this project are felt across the country. British steelmakers produce world-class, high-quality products that support major infrastructure, and Heathrow’s decision to prioritise domestic steel and British business reinforces the strength and resilience of the UK supply chain.

This is a vote of confidence in British manufacturing, supporting skilled jobs, driving investment, and helping to build a stronger, more sustainable economy.

Heathrow’s new investment follows the Chancellor announcement of the Government’s full backing of a third runway expansion in her recent Growth Speech where she pledged to go further and faster to kickstart the UK’s economic growth.

The Government has been clear that a third runway could add billions to a better-connected UK economy, deliver cheaper air fares and fewer delays, and drive UK exports and investment to new heights.

According to new research from the consultancy Frontier Economics, a third runway at Heathrow Airport could increase the UK’s potential GDP by almost 0.5% directly by 2050, with over 60% of that increase going to areas outside London and the South East.

Using UK-made steel on construction at Heathrow will also give a significant boost to the UK’s steel industry for the long term, which already supports over 75,000 jobs and contributes almost £2 billion a year to the economy.

Background:
- Current signatories to the UK Steel Charter include National Highways, the Railway Industry Association, Renewable UK and Sizewell C. The full list is available here: https://www.makeuk.org/about/uk-steel/uk-steel-charter-homepage/our-signatories-page (https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makeuk.org%2Fabout%2Fuk-steel%2Fuk-steel-charter-homepage%2Four-signatories-page__%3B!!HEBAkwG3r5RD!_EjLsU3XejQzG03BrYNP6AImHL18hR0oLpRIPyQpYcYQ9TMk6YNGoUbrjv7wLjuxxZD7WPP3S38LmH-_kVHCHG3qs1Q38QprKM5s1mOM_Q%24&data=05%7C02%7CHarry.Hayman%40businessandtrade.gov.uk%7Caf8d04c7bd3f4e0dcc8a08dd4aab82c5%7C8fa217ec33aa46fbad96dfe68006bb86%7C0%7C0%7C638748822711580815%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6g27OeIKh80OzSOafzd%2FpC89Yts2l2KPvtyHXvNjb1c%3D&reserved=0)
- For further details on Heathrow’s investment announcement, please contact Chris Anderson, Press Officer at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx), xx-xxxx-xxxx