Scores of regional flights will be axed unless plans for an extra runway at Heathrow are given the green light, Alistair Darling has been warned.

The transport secretary was given the stark prediction by the Freedom to Fly Coalition on the day the government's consultation over UK airport expansion ends.

The group - which is made up of airline, business and union groups - claimed that the industry would be forced to cut internal flight capacity in order to meet the growing demand for international landing slots.

Darling is considering a range of options including extra runways at Stansted in Essex, another runway at Heathrow and expansion at Gatwick.

Also on the list for development are Scotland's two main airports at Glasgow and Edinburgh.

An outside possibility is a proposal to build a new airport at Cliffe on the Medway marshes in Kent - but this has already brought stiff opposition from environmental campaigners.

Baroness Brenda Dean, who leads the Freedom to Fly Coalition, warned the decisions taken now by the government would have implications for decades to come.

"We must seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to plan ahead now to deal with the growth in aviation over the next 30 years," she said.

"That means balancing the needs of passengers, the economy, society and the environment, making best use of existing airport infrastructure. If we fail to do that, our economy and our jobs will suffer, and it will mean more delays, less choice, and higher prices."

Business leaders argued that Darling will have to make bold decisions if Britain is to avoid being overtaken by European rivals.

David Frost, director general of the BCC, said: "We are sure that there will be many objections raised to moving forward in the air transport industry from many varied people and organisations: these complaints must be resisted.

"Air transport expansion has to happen now as it is a vital part of the economy and can only increase in importance over the coming years.

"We have to provide for this increase in demand incrementally but provision for more air journeys must begin immediately."