Just days after Heathrow unveiled detailed plans for a third runway at the site, bosses at Gatwick have submitted their own expansion proposals to the Airports Commission.

Chief executive at the aviation facility Stewart Wingate believes adding a second runway at Gatwick would make far more sense than extending other airports or building a new hub on the outskirts of London.

He insisted that upgrading Gatwick would cost in the region of £5 billion to £9 billion and the project would affect fewer than five per cent of the people that are currently blighted by Heathrow today.

Aside from cost and noise pollution, there are many variables for the Airports Commission to consider before it makes a decision on the best way to enhance the UK's runway capacity, including air quality standards and the impact on local trade.

Mr Wingate suggested a new runway could be up and running at Gatwick by 2025.

"A two-runway Gatwick, as part of a constellation of three major airports surrounding London, will also provide flexibility in an industry where the only constant is change," he commented.