The boss of Britain's leading airline has given his strongest support yet for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways, said rejection of expansion plans would set the nation's economy back by 30 years and leave Britain trailing behind other countries in Europe and the Middle East.

He said: “It is clearer than ever that UK businesses must be provided with the kind of high-quality worldwide connectivity that is essential for success in a globalised economy.

“We have prevaricated about airport expansion for far too long. Meanwhile the other major European countries have raced ahead, investing in hub airport capacity to provide the geographic network businesses need as the global economy develops and intensifies.

“Time wasted pursuing the unfundable fantasy of a Thames Estuary hub would slow progress further.

“The probability is that if the current opportunity to expand our national hub is lost, the UK will suffer the consequences for at least 30 years.

“In the meantime, we would have condemned Heathrow, and the global connectivity of the UK economy, to further relative decline.”

Mr Walsh was speaking at a conference in London on Tuesday, November 18, and he issued a stark message to those opposing expansion of Heathrow that the plans have his full backing.

The third runway plans are due to be decided on by the government next month, with the fight intensifying between local campaigners and backers of the airport.

Mr Walsh underlined his argument for expanding the airport, which, he said, has seen its global network shrink by 20 percent during the last 18 years.

He said: “The time to move forward is now.

“This is a very serious decision of immense strategic importance for the future of the UK. It is not a decision to be taken for superficial or transient reasons.

“It is a big decision for the long-term, and it will be a statement about those who make it.”

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