Businesses call for Heathrow extension

Business leaders and trade unions have called on the government to approve the construction of a new runway at Heathrow.

The Future Heathrow group warned that failure to construct a new runway would jeopardise the airport's position as a major international airport while the union Unite warned that 172,000 jobs would be at risk if the project did not go ahead.

"Heathrow is our gateway to the world and we need to ensure that it remains a world-class airport capable of serving the needs of a global economy," said Richard Lambert, director general of the CBI.