London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has urged support for expansion at Gatwick.
The Labour hopeful is calling on leader Jeremy Corbyn to rule out expanding at Heathrow and make a second runway at Gatwick an official party policy.
Khan, who is leading in the polls to become the next London mayor, said Heathrow expansion would be “disastrous and undeliverable”.
“Gatwick can expand without the devastating environmental impact of a third runway at Heathrow,” Khan told The Observer.
“I’m calling on David Cameron, Zac Goldsmith and my colleagues in the Labour party – Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell – to get behind Gatwick now. It’s the only viable solution to this problem,” he added.
Last week businesses and travel organisations reacted in anger at the government’s delay in reaching a decision on airport expansion until “at least next summer”.
Prime minister David Cameron had promised a decision on whether to take the recommendation of the Davies commission and build a third runway at Heathrow or a second runway at Gatwick by the end of the year.
However, he said further research on environmental impacts was needed.