A think-tank believes that Heathrow would "almost certainly" have to close if a new hub airport was built in the Thames Estuary or at Stansted.

The Independent Transport Commission (ITC) has launched a new report - entitled Flying into the Future: Key issues for assessing Britain's aviation infrastructure needs - in which it clearly states that an airport with significantly more capacity than Heathrow is required if the UK is to remain competitive in the aviation sector.

It ruled out the introduction of two smaller hubs and also stressed that connecting different airports to form a "virtual hub" is not a viable solution either.

There has been a lot of debate about a possible expansion of Heathrow, while residents in Kent have already started campaigning against a new super airport, so the situation is undoubtedly very tricky.

The ITC warned that passengers at a Thames Estuary airport would incur costs almost twice as high as those issued at an extended Heathrow and the organisation also raised concerns about noise pollution.