British Steel’s Scunthorpe headquarters was included in a short-list of 18 potential sites released at the end of last month for four regional Heathrow Logistics Hubs.

As Heathrow builds its third runway, the airport is looking to open the hubs around the UK to spread the economic benefits of its expansion

Last year, it visited 65 sites bidding to host one of the facilities; after a strict vetting process, it has revealed the locations of those remaining in contention.

British Steel and the 17 other contenders will now be invited to formally submit tenders to host the hubs, which will be used to pre-assemble and consolidate components before transporting them to Heathrow.

Gerald Reichmann, British Steel’s deputy CEO (www.britishsteel.co.uk), said: “The creation of a Heathrow logistics hub at our Scunthorpe site would help to drive economic regeneration throughout Yorkshire and the Humber, so we are delighted with this news.

“Along with the first-class location, logistics and services that we can bring, one of our key strengths is the calibre of our partners; we look forward to working with them to help our region benefit from the incredible opportunity that Heathrow expansion brings.”

The new hubs will maximise the opportunities for businesses — particularly small and medium-size enterprises — to become key partners in delivering Heathrow’s new runway.

More than 12,000 people are already employed in British Steel’s supply chain in this region, and that figure could rise significantly with a successful bid.

The four locations chosen to host the hubs should be announced in early 2020, ahead of work starting in 2021.