Virgin Atlantic Airways has called on ministers to back the early building of a third runway at Heathrow.

Virgin Atlantic does not support the construction of a new hub airport at Cliffe in North Kent, or the development of Stansted into a second hub airport for the UK in competition with Heathrow.

In its response to the government's consultation on airport infrastructure, submitted earlier this month, British Airways also called for a new short runway to be built at Heathrow.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport told ePolitix.com: "Ministers will consider these arguments very carefully before announcing their decision in the white paper which is due later this year."

Forum Response: Virgin Atlantic

Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic, said: "Alistair Darling showed real courage in starting this consultation process and he must demonstrate it again when he publishes his white paper later this year. The UK and Heathrow in particular is in serious risk of losing its pre-eminence in European and world aviation.

"Business, tourism, trade unions, air users and the aviation industry all demand a clear commitment from government to the development of new runway capacity and a detailed timetable for its delivery.

"Virgin is today calling for the government to commit to introduction of a hybrid bill to develop a new runway at Heathrow.

"As was demonstrated with the Channel Tunnel Rail Act the procedure allows full consultation on both the local and national issues and will be so much quicker and less costly than the protracted public enquiry process which delayed Terminal Five for so long."

Forum Response: British Airways

Rod Eddington, chief executive of British Airways, said: "We urge the government to build a new short runway at Heathrow as a first priority if Britain is to maximise the benefits that aviation brings to our economy.

"Ignoring Heathrow or trying to split its operations between two airports in the South East will dilute its economic benefits and undermine employment centres. It will also reduce the number of international routes served from London and deny access from the British regions to the country's aviation hub.

"We also need an effective planning system, so new developments are built sooner rather than later, and a radical overhaul of the compensation system for those people adversely affected by these developments."

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

Richard Burge, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told ePolitix.com: "It will be the communities living near to the proposed airport development sites - wherever they will be - who will be most affected by the proposals.

"Airport expansion - wherever it occurs - can provide benefits to nearby communities by stimulating growth and improving provision of services and housing, but can also have negative effects, for example on any local tourism industry, together with environmental degradation which can be often be severe in terms of excess noise and atmospheric pollution.

"It is the communities involved who have to be able to input on these decisions, and their views must be listened to. The existing DfT consultation exercise provides an opportunity for this, and those likely to be affected must ensure there views are expressed by the closing date of the consultation on the June 30."