The UK government's decision to scrap plans for a third runway at Heathrow could damage Britain's competitiveness, expert engineers have warned.
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) said the current "better not bigger" approach to airport capacity could "seriously undermine the UK's global connectivity and competitiveness, and see us lagging behind North European rivals."
The UK's Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government scrapped plans for the third runway and said it would cancel proposed new runways at Stansted and Gatwick airports soon after it came into power in May.
The ICE report, Rethinking Aviation, urged the government to "think carefully about the UK's long-term airport infrastructure needs and the wider implications of its decision."
The report said: "As a trading island nation and depends on its ability to connect with the rest of the world.
"World class airport infrastructure helps attract inward investment, enables access to an international labour force and provides direct business and leisure links to growing economic and cultural centres around the world.
"However, runway capacity at the busiest airports in the south east of England is severely constrained.
"This not only causes delays but impedes the UK's global connectivity, and our ability to attract new long-haul services to and from emerging economies."
But the Ice report agreed that "unrestrained growth in demand for air travel without quick improvements in aircraft efficiency would damage the environment."
It suggested one way of restricting demand was to increase the cost of flying by the government imposing a minimum carbon price for aircraft.
It also urged more use of alternative transport methods, like trains.
Simon Godfrey-Arnold, an ICE aviation expert and one of the authors of the report, said: "We agree the green agenda must be priority, and realise that when it comes to the UK's airport infrastructure needs, there are some tough political and public choices.
"But we believe there are choices that can secure the best outcomes for the environment, society and the economy."
The ICE criticism of government aviation policy comes a week after the Board of Airline Representatives UK (BAR UK) warned that Britain would be "by-passed" if extra runway capacity was not built in south east England.
It said: "Despite the budget announcement that Britain was open for business, the Government's aviation and taxation policies show great potential for driving trade and tourism to other countries."
BAR said the cumulative affect of scrapping the third runaway, stopping expansion at Gatwick and Stansted and replacing the Air Passenger Duty with a "per-flight" tax would be to hit "international and domestic trading and business needs."
www.ice.org.uk www.bar-uk.org