Branson backs third Heathrow runway

Air passengers numbers are expected to more than double

Another major airline is supporting the controversial proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow to cope with increased demand for air travel.

Sir Richard Branson's company Virgin Atlantic Airways, which runs 113 flights out of the west London airport each week, spoke out days before the consultation period ends.

It joins rivals BA and airport operator BAA in supporting the plan to add a third, shorter runway at Heathrow, something bitterly opposed by local campaigners.

The Heathrow proposal is one of several options the government is considering to cope with the expected sharp increase in air travel over the next 30 years.

Virgin is also supporting the early development of a second runway at Gatwick in Sussex.

But it dismissed other options to build up to three new runways at Stansted in Essex or a new £9bn airport at Cliffe in Kent as being more harmful to the environment.

Residents are strongly opposed to airport expansion

Sir Richard said the government should introduce a Hybrid Bill, special legislation to fast-track the Heathrow development.

He said it would allow full consultation but would be "quicker and less costly" than a public inquiry.

Sir Richard added: "The UK and Heathrow in particular is in serious risk of losing its pre-eminence in European and world aviation.

"Business, tourism, trade unions, air users and the aviation industry all demand a clear commitment from government to the development of new runway capacity and a detailed timetable for its delivery."

Monica Robb, vice-chairman of anti-expansion campaigners HACAN ClearSkies, was not surprised by Virgin's announcement.

She believes a third runway would encourage bigger planes to use existing flight paths and expansion is not necessary.

"Planes are going in and coming out of Heathrow airport not fully occupied and an awful lot of people change planes anyway and are giving no economic benefit to London," she said.

She opposed Virgin's suggestion to make Heathrow's existing runways 'mixed-mode' - allowing flights to constantly take off and land on both strips.

"The only respite that people get at the moment is that for half the day you don't have planes flying over you," she said.

"If you go to mixed-mode then that puts an end to that relief."