Heathrow’s plans for a third runway to the north-west of the existing two are currently supported by government policy through the Airports National Policy Statement.

Under these plans, capacity for an additional 260,000 flights per year would be created.

There would also be a new terminal and the M25 orbital motorway would go beneath the runway.

But the plans have proved controversial for a decade.

Much of the villages of Harmondsworth, Sipson and Longford would be destroyed.

Support has come from Slough but councils including Hillingdon, Richmond and Wandsworth all oppose the scheme.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also said he was against expansion at Heathrow “due to the damaging impact it would have on air quality, noise and London’s ability to achieve net-zero carbon by 2030”.