Former Transport Secretary Kelly lands at Heathrow

Ruth Kelly, the former Transport Secretary, is to join the board of Heathrow Airport's parent company as it attempts to clear the remaining hurdles to the construction of its £14bn third runway.

Sky News has learnt that Ms Kelly, who held the transport brief in the Labour government between 2007 and 2008, will become a non-executive director of Heathrow Airport Holdings next month.

A statement confirming her appointment is expected to be made this week.

Her arrival on the board will come just days before a ruling is anticipated on a judicial review of the decision by Chris Grayling, the current Transport Secretary, to approve the controversial third runway project.

The judicial review has been brought by five separate parties, including the London Mayor Sadiq Khan, amid concerns about the impact of the airport's expansion on air quality and noise pollution.

It follows last summer's vote by MPs to approve the scheme, with Boris Johnson, the then Foreign Secretary and a long-standing opponent of the plan, criticised for missing the ballot because of a hastily arranged trip to Afghanistan.

Despite the vote in favour of the third runway, it continues to face opposition from a number of airline customers including British Airways' parent, International Airlines Group, because of fears about cost increases.

Last month, Heathrow Airport Holdings announced a new deal on airport charges to extend the current regulatory settlement to 2021.

Ms Kelly, who briefly worked for HSBC Holdings after stepping down as an MP in 2010, now sits on the board of the Financial Conduct Authority.

Her appointment will strengthen Heathrow's political connections at a critical juncture for the UK's only hub airport.

The company's board is chaired by Lord Deighton, who played a key role in the delivery of the London Olympics in 2012.

Heathrow Airport Holdings is owned by a consortium of international investors, including sovereign wealth funds from China, Qatar and Singapore, the Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial and a Canadian pension fund.

The Universities Superannuation Scheme, the giant UK-based retirement fund, is also an investor in the airport.

Heathrow could not be reached for comment on Monday.