AtkinsRéalis and Turner & Townsend appointed Heathrow expansion’s PMO Consultants

Heathrow Airport has appointed a joint team from Turner & Townsend and AtkinsRéalis to provide portfolio management office (PMO) consultancy services for its long-term airport expansion programme, including plans for its proposed third runway.

image: Heathrow Airport

The appointment forms part of Heathrow’s expansion PMO framework, which is initially set for five years with the option to extend for a further five years. Under the agreement, the two consultancies will provide programme and project management support to help plan and deliver major infrastructure developments across the airport.

The PMO will support Heathrow’s wider capital development programme, which includes the proposed third runway and associated airport infrastructure upgrades. The project has received backing from the UK government as part of efforts to increase aviation capacity and strengthen the country’s global connectivity.

Heathrow’s expansion plans centre on the construction of a new 3,500m runway to the northwest of the existing airport. According to project estimates, the expansion could enable at least 30 additional daily routes, increase passenger capacity to around 150m per year and allow up to 756,000 aircraft movements annually. The overall programme is expected to represent around £33bn of investment in airport infrastructure.

Turner & Townsend and AtkinsRéalis will work together through a strategic joint partnership to provide integrated programme management and project controls. The PMO is intended to support delivery oversight, coordination across supply chains and the management of complex infrastructure works associated with the expansion.

Donna Hayward, PMO director at Heathrow, said the appointment forms part of preparations for submitting a planning application for the airport’s next phase of development and wider infrastructure upgrades.

Turner & Townsend and AtkinsRéalis said the partnership will combine experience from previous major infrastructure programmes and longstanding involvement in Heathrow projects. AtkinsRéalis has worked with the airport for more than two decades, while Turner & Townsend has supported Heathrow programmes for over 30 years.

Heathrow is currently the UK’s busiest airport and a key hub for international passenger and cargo traffic. The expansion programme is intended to increase capacity and improve long-term operational resilience while supporting economic growth and global connectivity through additional routes and increased flight capacity.