The UK economy’s will only suffer if the capacity of airports in the south-eastern England isn’t increased, as alleged by the Civil Aviation Authority.

A report by the organisation said that, without extra runway capacity, fliers will face higher fares as well as reduced choice. The government said that it remains committed to developing sustainable policy frameworks for aviation. On the other hand, Hacan ClearSkies’ John Stewart commented that capacity doesn’t need an increase but instead must be used differently.

The report argues that without expansion, British airports might struggle to handle an inevitable growth in demand from emerging markets of China, India, and Latin America while also hampering the UK economy’s recovery. The CAA said that the issue is of national importance and that aviation should be allowed to grow while playing its part in delivering environmental goals as it protects the quality of life of Britain’s local communities.

Andrew Haines, the CAA’s chief executive, said that consumers and Britain’s economy would benefit from an increased capacity as long as environmental sustainability is considered. It was also pointed out that south-eastern England hasn’t seen a single new runway that is capable of handling aircraft such as the Boeing 747 or A380 in over 70 years – one of the main factors in capacity not being increased as of yet.