London Stansted the focus of UK airport expansion

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London Stansted airport is the UK governmentss preferred choice to cope with forecast growth in air travel over the next 30 years, under plans announced today

London Stansted airport is the UK government's preferred choice to cope with forecast growth in air travel over the next 30 years, under plans announced today. Airports operator BAA had been pushing for a new runway at London Heathrow but this will now happen at Stansted, possibly by 2011. Heathrow will get an extra, third runway, but only by 2020 and only if strict environmental rules are met.

Other proposals by government include a new runway at Birmingham and possibly Edinburgh, also by 2020. There will be no new airport in the south-east of the country, and no new Midlands airport. Instead, East Midlands airport will be expanded. The government also approved extra terminal capacity at Manchester and Liverpool airports as well as at Newcastle, Bristol and Cardiff airports.

BAA and British Airways had been urging government to clear the way for a third Heathrow runway, which may now happen in the longer term. Transport secretary Alistair Darling also told MPs that Heathrow may even be allowed to open a sixth terminal, but again only under strict conditions governing the environmental effects.