Heathrow and Gatwick airports found to contain RAAC concrete | UK News

The UK’s two busiest airports have been found to contain RAAC concrete, which this week forced hundreds of schools to close and sparked a political crisis.

Both Heathrow and Gatwick, which together handle over 100m passengers a year, said they had been aware of the concrete since before it sparked chaos at schools.

Heathrow said it discovered the material in Terminal 3 last year, and had carried out some work while considering a permanent fix. 

The airport believes its plan is sufficient despite the ongoing schools crisis.

In a statement to the FT, a Heathrow spokesperson said: ‘Industry has been aware and acting on the remedial steps that should be taken in buildings that contain this material.

‘Passenger and colleague safety will always be our first priority. We will continue to update stakeholders across the sector as our plans for permanent solutions progress.’

Gatwick said: ‘We have a register of locations containing Raac on the airport campus, which are closely monitored through a regular comprehensive structural inspection regime.’

They added: ‘Our most recent inspection in June 2023 did not present any concerns and we will continue to monitor on a regular basis.’

Manchester Airport is also being inspected at the moment for the presence of crumbling concrete, but officials are reportedly confident there is reportedly a ‘very low’ chance it will be found.

The Department of Education said in a report on Wednesday that at least 147 schools contain RAAC concrete, although there are fears the actual number could be much higher.

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