London’s Mayor and the owner of Stansted airport have both talked up their chances of seeing runways built in their preferred locations, despite schemes backed by the pair not making the Airports Commission’s shortlist for increasing aviation capacity by 2030.

Published yesterday, the Commission’s report said it will take forward two options for increasing runway capacity at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The two Heathrow options are for a new runway to the North West of the airport and extending the existing northern runway to over 6km long, allowing it to operate as two independent runways. Gatwick’s shortlisted proposal is for a new runway to the south.

The Commission concluded that there is a need for one additional runway to be in operation in the South East by 2030, with a possible second additional runway by 2050.

It decided not to shortlist any of the Thames Estuary options put forward by the Mayor of London. But the report author Sir Howard Davies said he will further assess the case for a new airport on the Isle of Grain and reach a view next year as to whether that option is a credible proposal for consideration.

Continued uncertainty over the Isle of Grain airport did not appear to faze the Mayor. “Howard Davies’ decision to include the option of a new hub in the inner estuary on the Isle of Grain is both sensible and pragmatic,” Boris Johnson said. “A new airport in the inner estuary is the only credible option left.”

Plans to extend Stansted airport did not make the shortlist either. But Charlie Cornish, chief executive of the airport’s owner MAG, remained upbeat, preferring to focus on the Commission’s remark that “there is likely to be a case” for considering a second runway at Stansted by 2050.

“Stansted welcomes the Commission’s support for measures to increase capacity at the airport in the short term, including improving rail links between the airport and central London,” Mr Cornish said. “We also support the Commission’s finding that Stansted is one of the viable options for a runway beyond 2030.”

(Photo: Heathrow Airport)

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