“We welcome initiatives to expand airports to better meet existing – and prepare for future – demand for air travel. This type of investment will create many employment opportunities, on top of the thousands of jobs already supported by the aviation industry.

“Expansion should be carried out in lockstep with the UK’s airspace modernisation strategy, and coordinated with other airport expansion programmes, to ensure the most efficient flow of air traffic into and out of airports across the UK.

“Along with investment in green energy and other measures to mitigate the impact of aviation growth on the environment, including noise, this will ensure a more efficient and sustainable aviation industry that can meet the challenges of the 21st Century.”