Plans to expand Heathrow Airport have learned from “the mistakes of previous megaprojects like HS2”, officials have told the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The

is expected to cost £21bn and will increase capacity up to 756,000 flights and 150M passengers, per year. An additional £12bn will be spent on terminal upgrades to accommodate the increased passenger flow.

In a statement, Heathrow, the UK’s only hub airport, said it is inviting independent experts to oversee the expansion in “real-time” as it “commits to deliver its plan responsibly”.

The statement said: “The new proposals for joint independent assurance create an expert panel that participates directly in Heathrow’s key decision making forums, checking its approach and giving independent advice and challenge to ensure the best outcome for consumers.

“It would comprise technical experts from areas like engineering, property, planning, legal, finance and procurement. Each would be jointly appointed by Heathrow and airlines, and approved by the CAA.”

In January,

approved funding to begin work on a planning application for the third runway proposal, saying it took the expansion “a step forward”, while noting major regulatory and political decisions will determine whether the project can proceed.

The statement to the CAA concluded: “Crucially, [the expansion] learns from the mistakes of previous megaprojects like

. Real-time independent analysis from experts in their field will allow Heathrow to adapt rapidly to live feedback, avoiding delays or cost increases from late-stage surprises.

“The panel’s input would be shared with Heathrow, airlines, the CAA and government at the same time, giving full transparency.”

Heathrow’s chief customer officer, Ross Baker, said: “We know our airline customers want a thriving expanded hub that delivers great operational performance and helps them grow their business, providing real value for money.

“As we partner to deliver expansion, we would also welcome independent experts to review our decisions real time giving the regulator and airlines even more assurance that we are building the hub our customers and country needs.”