Airport expansion plans face "final nail in the coffin"

In yet another blow to the government's faltering airport expansion plan, reports have emerged that a decision on plans for a second runway at Stansted is not now expected until after the general election, raising the prospect of the proposals being blocked by a new government.

David Dash, a senior planning official at Essex county council, told The Observer that the planning inquiry into proposals for a second runway at the airport was unlikely to begin before September and would take at least a year to complete, meaning that any recommendation would not be made to ministers until after the general election.

Both Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have promised to block proposals for new runways in the South East if elected, and even if the Stansted inquiry finds in favour of a second runway, ministers could still choose to reject the application.

Theresa Villiers, Conservative shadow transport secretary, reiterated the party's intention to scrap the current government's plans for airport expansion. "Like Heathrow, the government's plans for an extra runway at Stansted have collapsed," she said. "A Conservative government would put the final nail in the coffin for this unpopular and unnecessary new runway."

The news comes as Birmingham Airport today announced new measures to encourage airlines to operate fuel-saving continual descent approaches (CDAs).

The airport said that following a successful trial period, it is to introduce more gradual descents for all operators using the airport from this month and will provide an annual award to the airline that proves most successful at keeping to the new routes.

A spokeswoman for the airport said that the new proposals had been welcomed by the airlines and are expected to deliver significant cuts in emissions, while also reducing noise levels for local residents. "The approaches require the aircraft to use less thrust, so they are quieter and more fuel efficient," she said.

According to studies, CDAs cut CO2 emissions by between 160kg and 470kg per flight, while reducing noise levels around an airport by between one and five decibels.

The practice is becoming increasingly popular as airlines seek to reduce both fuel use and carbon emissions, and last month a coalition of airlines and European air traffic control bodies announced plans to save more than half a million tonnes of CO2 a year by using CDAs at 100 airports by the end of 2013.