Pabely,
If all approved then would not any new terminal(s) or major upgrade be put in place way before?
In theory yes, but I think Gatwick will now find it difficult to even get permission for an extra stand, let alone another terminal or runway, after their recent announcement.
One question though, for anybody to answer. Does the government actually consult the CAA, NATS, or airlines when deciding where to locate extra runways/hubs/terminals?
I'm only asking because some of the alternatives that are suggested for expansion are sometimes a little ridiculous and often where there is not much demand.
For example,
Ridiculous = Silver/Boris Island and Northolt etc
Little demand = Stansted or Birmingham etc