The controversial expansion of Heathrow Airport has reached a new milestone, with the government officially backing a plan that would take a chunk out of the nearby M25 .

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the successful proposal, which came from the airport’s owners, is the ‘most credible and deliverable option’ for a third runway.

Heathrow previously described its plan as ‘shovel-ready’ and said flights could take off in the next decade.

The new runway could add 276,000 more flights each year, increasing the number from 480,000 to 756,000 annually.

The expansion would create at least 30 new daily routes and serve up to 150 million passengers, Heathrow said.

Alexander cited the ‘relative maturity’ of the airport’s proposal, as well as the ‘stronger comfort it provides in re

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