London mayor Boris Johnson urged the body charged with overseeing the decision about where to place new airport capacity not to miss the "bigger picture".

The mayor has submitted a dossier of evidence to the Airports Commission, saying the decision represents an opportunity to reshape the economy to meet projected levels of population growth.

Mr Johnson advocates the construction of a new hub airport at the Thames Estuary that he claims would generate economic benefits of at least £7 billion per year.

Adopting an approach that favours the short-term over the long-term risks letting the country down, the mayor claimed. The document argues that it is "technically, economically and environmentally feasible".

London's population is forecast to grow to ten million by 2030 and 11.3 million by 2050 and the major argues that major infrastructure decisions have the potential to help satisfy the need for homes and jobs created by that growth.