Bosses at Gatwick Airport have submitted a list of criteria that the Airports Commission should use when assessing the best ways to increase passenger capacity in the UK.

Aviation officials are concerned that the main airports in the south-east - Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted - will soon be stretched to the limit, as the demand for travel to London continues to soar.

There has been talk of runway expansions and a brand new airport being built in the region, but nothing has been decided yet.

Gatwick is "broadly supportive" of the Airports Commission's plans to create more space, but chief executive of the facility Stewart Wingate said that certain things need to be considered before any concrete proposals are made.

"We strongly recommend that the Airport Commission factor in competition, resilience and the passenger experience when assessing which options will deliver the right outcome for London and the UK," he remarked.

Like Heathrow and Stansted, Gatwick's passenger figures continue to rise and the airport welcomed more than 2.1 million visitors in February 2013 alone - up by 2.2 per cent on the corresponding month in 2012.