Bosses at Heathrow have reiterated the desperate need for greater airport capacity in the UK.

They have submitted their thoughts and concerns to the Airports Commission, which is assessing the best ways to accommodate the huge influx of people expected to visit Britain in the coming years.

In the report, Heathrow chiefs confirmed the airport is already operating at its capacity each year and figures supplied by the Department for Transport show there will be 11 million unserviced passengers wishing to fly from the London-based aviation hub by 2020.

This figure will rise to 28 million by 2030 unless action is taken, although plans to install a fourth runway at the facility are still very hazy.

"Overseas governments, airlines and hub airports, such as Dubai and Istanbul, are already making major investments that exploit the UK's hub capacity constraint," the report noted.

Gatwick leaders have also backed the Airports Commission's review and they recently urged the body to prioritise "competition, resilience and the passenger experience" when devising any plans to expand the UK's aviation sector.