Airport decision delay a failure of leadership, says CBI

Delays to a decision on London's airport expansion are a "failure of leadership", the CBI business lobby group has told the BBC.

Carolyn Fairbairn, the director-general of the CBI, said: "We need this decision to be taken quickly."

David Cameron had promised a decision by the end of the year on whether to build a new runway at Heathrow.

However, on Monday BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed said the decision could be delayed "for at least six months".

'Urgent' decision

The environmental, political and business arguments over whether to enlarge Heathrow or Gatwick airports have been going on for 25 years.

In July, the Airports Commission chaired by Sir Howard Davies backed the building of a new third runway at Heathrow at a cost of some £23bn ($34.6bn), although it did not rule out the option of expanding Gatwick.

However, senior sources have now said there needs to be more "confidence building" about the environmental impact of a new runway at Heathrow.

Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Ms Fairbairn said: "Our economy is going to run out of airport capacity in the south by 2025.

"The effect on exports is going to be dramatic, a potential £5bn lost exports by 2030 if we don't act. It feels like a real failure of leadership.

"We really need a decision on airport capacity, it's urgent and it's not optional,"