The British government has announced plans to expand Europe’s busiest airport – Heathrow, just west of London. <br /><br /> It intends to spend the equivalent of up to 20 billion euros to build a third runway almost doubling the passenger capacity and increasing the number of flights to more than 700,000 a year by 2030. <br /><br /> British Prime Minister Theresa May said it was vital for the UK’s economic future.<br /><br /> “After decades of delay we are showing that we will take the big decisions when they’re the right decisions for Britain,” Prime Minister Theresa May told London’s Evening Standard newspaper.<br /><br /> “Wrong decision”<br /><br /> But London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan said it was the “wrong decision for London and the whole of Britain”.<br /><br /> “The government are running roughshod over Londoners’ views – just five months ago I was elected as Mayor on a clear platform of opposing a new runway at Heathrow but in favour of a new runway at Gatwick Airport where you get the jobs, you get the growth, there aren’t any problems around noise,” Khan said in a statement.<br /><br /> “I will continue to challenge this decision and I am exploring how I can best be involved in any legal process over the coming months,” he added.<br /><br /> The Heathrow plan now faces years of legal challenges over noise and air pollution. <br /><br /> There is cross-party opposition to Heathrow expansion, and cross-party support for Gatwick expansion → https://t.co/LIUUq7EeY7 3/6 pic.twitter.com/5Yj1ZLMh4M— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) October 25, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> London’s other main airport – Gatwick, which is south of the capital – has had its expansion hopes rejected with this decision. <br /><br /> On Gatwick transport minister Chris Grayling said: “Gatwick, despite not being selected today, remains a key part of our national transport picture, and will continue to be so in the future.” <br /><br /> Consultation<br /><br /> Speaking in the British parliament, Chris Grayling said: “There will be a full and proper consultation … we will do it in as timely a way as we can.”<br /><br /> But he added the public consultation process was not likely to change its position: “The government has decided very clearly today on its recommendation. We’re not entering this process with a view to changing our minds.”<br /><br /> The government has previously said the whole approval process would be completed by late 2017 or early 2018.<br /><br /> Grayling also said the government would be publishing new evidence relating to the air quality implications of the project in the coming days. <br /><br /> Chris Grayling heckled in House of Commons as he makes speech on Heathrow third runway decision. Listen live https://t.co/YCELjPUj2o pic.twitter.com/FnC1UTMfpN— LBC (@LBC) October 25, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> Divisions<br /><br /> The divisions within the UK government over the issue were highlighted by statements from Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.<br /><br /> The former Mayor of London, who represents a constituency near Heathrow called the third runway plan “undeliverable” adding, “I think it very likely it will be stopped”.<br /><br /> “I do think that building a thir
