Britain delays decision on London airport expansion

Britain on Thursday said it would delay announcing where to expand London airport capacity to assess environmental impact, but critics said the move smacked of "gutless" political expediency.

The government said it would postpone the decision until at least mid-2016, amid strong lobbying by businesses for a third runway at Heathrow -- Europe's busiest airport -- and fierce opposition from some lawmakers and environmental groups.

"The government will undertake a package of further work and we anticipate that it will conclude over the summer," Prime Minister David Cameron's office said.

An earlier commission had recommended expanding Heathrow, but hundreds of homes would have to be demolished and the extra traffic could mean Britain fails to meet emissions targets.

Business groups have long called for Heathrow's extension, which they say would boost trade and help Britain keep up with rapidly expanding airports in the Middle East and Asia.

Heathrow handled some 73.4 million passengers in 2014 and connects to 185 destinations in 84 countries.

It lost its crown as the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic to Dubai last year, while Turkey is planning massive airport capacity expansion in Istanbul.

"Businesses will see this as a gutless move by a government that promised a clear decision on a new runway by the end of the year," said John Longworth, director-general at the British Chambers of Commerce.

The government pointed to the need to address environmental concerns in justifying the delay.

"We will undertake more work on environmental impacts, including air quality, noise and carbon," said Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin.

However, critics said the decision to delay was to avoid political embarrassment after a prominent member of Cameron's Conservative party threatened to resign should Heathrow be extended.

Photo Caption: A rally against a proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport in Parliament Square in London on October 10, 2015 (AFP Photo/Justin Tallis) File