Leaders at Birmingham Airport believe that UK businesses should have access to a network of airports.

Chief executive of the aviation facility Paul Kehoe said that transforming Heathrow into a hub airport is "illogical".

The Airports Commission is piecing together information and suggestions on how to expand the UK's runway capacity and it could be a while before a decision is made.

There have been calls for a major extension of Heathrow, while others want to see a new hub airport built just outside London, but Mr Kehoe thinks this would not be fair on businesses in the Midlands and north of England.

He highlighted the results of a new report by Capital Economics, which indicated that more than half a million firms are within Birmingham Airport's catchment area - around a quarter of all companies in the UK.

"It is clear that UK exports are best served by a network of airports, not a London hub," he remarked, before adding that manufacturers rely on convenient international connectivity, something that could be jeopardised if the nation's main airports are located exclusively in the south-east.