UK's Heathrow rallies support for third runway as Parliament weighs expansion plans

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Heathrow Airport said on Monday that its expansion plans have won the backing of trade unions, airlines, regional airports and investors as the British Parliament reviews a project for a third runway at the UK's busiest airport.

Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye is due to give evidence to the Parliament's Transport Select Committee on October 14 as part of lawmakers' scrutiny of the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement.        

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham declined to back Heathrow's plans to build a third runway, saying it was a matter for people who live near London's main airport.

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

"After decades of discussion, Parliament now has the opportunity to unlock a project that can deliver lasting benefits for generations to come," Heathrow's Woldbye said in a statement.

"We are ready to deliver it," he said, adding that the expansion would unlock more than 100,000 jobs and £33 billion ($43.74 billion) of private investment across the UK.

In September, Heathrow said that plans to open the third runway could be delayed until 2039.

The UK's biggest airport said that demand for access to Heathrow continued to exceed available capacity, with more than 40 airlines seeking slots at the airport.  

Nearly 7.2 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in September, down 2.3% from a year earlier, with the Middle East conflict contributing to a 20% drop in traffic to that region.

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(Reporting by Yamini Kalia and Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)