Heathrow Airport’s controversial third runway received a boost this month with the airport resuming the purchasing of houses close to the proposed runway. According to The Telegraph, Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) has reopened a property hardship scheme through which it buys homes from owners who are otherwise unable to sell them due to the prospect of the third runway. It comes amid ongoing uncertainty regarding the future of airport expansions due to the pandemic-driven drop in passenger numbers. Despite the court win, the expansion plans remain on ice due to the pandemic and in March HAL also announced a £2bn loss for the financial year in February, with passenger numbers down 22M in 2020 compared to the year before.