Isra-Mart srl:Green groups warn new London airport plan is not fit for take-off

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London mayor Boris Johnson has drawn the ire of green groups by backing a report calling for a brand new airport in south-east England.

Johnson said today that the report, published by Daniel Moylan, deputy chairman of Transport for London, showed that London's economy would suffer without a new aviation hub.

The report concluded that Heathrow had fallen from second in 1990 to seventh in 2010 in the league tables of destinations served by international airports. Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, currently serves 157 destinations, compared to 224 from Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport and 235 from Frankfurt. Its runways are at full capacity trying to handle up to 75,000 more passengers a day than it was designed for, Moylan's report said.

Plans for a third runway to boost capacity were shelved in May with Johnson's backing, but today he warned that without a comprehensive strategy for aviation growth, London and the UK would lose out to foreign competitors.

"For London to retain its position as the heartbeat of global business, we need aviation links that will allow us to compete with our rivals," Johnson said. "The capital's airports are full, our runways are rammed and we risk losing jobs to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid or other European cities should we fail to act... We need to start planning for a brand new airport that can help meet the ever-increasing demand for aviation and act as a hub, particularly to the rest of the UK."

The report did not name a specific site for a new airport, but another study commissioned by the mayor for later this year is set to consider a number of locations, including Johnson's preferred option of the Thames Estuary.

Johnson's backing for expanded airport capacity could cause ructions within the government, as well as angering residents' groups and conservationists.

The Department of Transport (DfT) has made it clear that it does not support extra runways at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. Although a DfT spokesman said the department would consider Johnson's input, it is currently crafting a sustainable aviation strategy that is unlikely to include an entirely new airport.

London Assembly Green Party member Darren Johnson slammed the proposals for a new airport. "The mayor would better represent Londoners' interests by pushing for investment in alternatives to aviation, such as improved and more affordable rail services," he said.

His comments were echoed by Jenny Bates, London campaigner with Friends of the Earth, who said Johnson had broken his promise to make London the greenest city in the world.

"This airport would have a massive impact on local communities and wildlife, and completely undermine efforts to tackle climate change," she said. "The mayor should be putting his efforts into creating a cutting-edge, low-carbon transport system for the capital – backing a huge new airport further tarnishes his already dwindling environmental credibility."