Central waiting area in Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Credit: Citizen59.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has asked LHR Airports to file its ‘urgent’ and ‘decisive’ response regarding construction of the £14bn third runway at Heathrow Airport.

The aviation regulator wrote a letter to the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) to express concerns over the cost and schedule of the new runway, highlighting what it said was an inconsistent and limited flow of quality and comprehensive information.

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CAA chief executive Richard Moriarty said that airlines have failed to get answers to resolve their concerns surrounding the runway project.

He further stated that answers should be given to all the affected stakeholders to retain confidence in the project.

The third runway project has faced a number of issues such as delays and protests, as well as competitive bids by rival firms. Despite these many issues, the British Parliament voted in favour of the third runway in June.

“We recognise that capacity expansion is an unprecedented and very complex programme.”

In a letter to the DfT in September, Moriarty said: “We recognise that capacity expansion is an unprecedented and very complex programme and that HAL has been engaging extensively with the airline community on its plans in good faith.”

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In the letter, Moriarty added that airlines have been complaining for nearly 18 months about the lack of clarity in development plans.

The letter further stated: “These concerns have not yet been adequately addressed despite repeated requests from the airline community and the CAA.”

The new runway is expected to boost Heathrow’s capacity from 85.5 million travellers to 130 million annually.

Officials expect the project to create 114,000 extra jobs in the area around the airport by 2030.