Chief executive of Norwich International Airport Andrew Bell believes the aviation facility is hugely important to the Norfolk economy.

He spoke out after Birmingham Airport boss Paul Kehoe suggested that Britain has too many regional airports and the likes of Norwich, Doncaster and Blackpool are unsustainable in the long term, EDP 24 reports.

However, Mr Bell told the news provider that while some smaller local airports might struggle, Norwich International will not.

He also refuted claims that Norwich Airport was built to take advantage of the low-cost air travel boom before the financial crisis of 2008.

"In Norwich's case, the business has diverse and strong foundations," Mr Bell was quoted as saying.

Last week, leaders at the Norfolk-based complex confirmed that an official planning application for the new Norwich AeroPark has been submitted.

If approved, this development will create a huge amount of space for aircraft painting firm Air Livery and has the potential to open up another 1,000 jobs in the area.