The boss of Heathrow believes the airport has a strong legal case to fight a court ruling won by environmentalists which has cast huge doubt on plans for a third runway.
The Court of Appeal ruled the government’s decision to allow expansion was unlawful because it did not take climate commitments into account.
However, Heathrow confirmed it would appeal to the Supreme Court and voiced confidence of being successful.
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The London hub said it was ready to work with the government to “fix the issue” that the court has raised.
“Heathrow has taken a lead in getting the UK aviation sector to commit to a plan to get to net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Accord,” a statement said.
“Expanding Heathrow, Britain’s biggest port and only hub, is essential to achieving the prime minister’s vision of global Britain. We will get it done the right way, without jeopardising the planet’s future.”
Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “We think the appeals court got it wrong”.
He added: “We have a very strong legal case, and we will be making that very firmly.”
In the meantime Heathrow would work with government on a review of its policy “to make sure we can demonstrate expansion is compatible with the Paris accord on climate change”.
Holland-Kay said: “I’m confident that this issue is fixable, and we can work with the government to get on and deliver the expanded Heathrow that Britain needs.
“Without Heathrow expansion, there will be no global Britain.”
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, decribed that court’s decision as “extremely disappointing”.
He said: “The Sir Howard Davies Airports Commission spent several years looking at airport capacity in the south-east and was clear Heathrow is the only game in town, with other schemes being considered and ultimately rejected.
“The economic prize is enormous if expansion is done right, with airlines ready to respond to the unlocking of new capacity by creating new routes and helping to connect the UK to new markets and destinations, and Heathrow to regions across the country.
“UK aviation has committed to net zero carbon by 2050 and this factors in the emissions created by Heathrow expansion. It is not a question of being pro-aviation or pro-environment.”
But he added: “Of course, the advantages of an extra runway won’t be realised if landing charges are ramped up and airlines can’t afford to operate at the airport – and our support for expansion will remain conditional upon Heathrow delivering on their commitment to keep charges at current levels – but we are clear that as a country we cannot keep fudging this issue if we are to maintain our credibility internationally, and we urge ministers to appeal the decision, back expansion publicly, and ensure it delivers for the whole country.”
A Business Travel Association spokesman said: “The need for additional runway capacity in south-east England is crucial if the UK is to continue to build effective trade links with key markets across the globe.
“For this reason, the BTA is supportive of expanding Heathrow’s runway capacity, but it is essential that this is done within a framework of effective climate commitments.
“We urge the government to commit to developing a revised Airports National Policy Statement that makes new runway capacity achievable within effective, climate-conscious boundaries.”
The Unite union urged the government to take immediate action to ensure the third runway goes ahead, while ensuring the environment is fully protected.
Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: “Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk if the government does not take immediate action to ensure that Heathrow expansion goes ahead. However, Unite is adamant this must not be at the expense of the environment.
“The government must bring forward new proposals that are in line with the UK’s environmental commitments.
“Urgent action is needed to tackle the climate emergency that we all face but that must be through a just transition which does not demonise particular sectors or industries.
“That is why it is essential that Heathrow becomes entirely carbon neutral and that no additional aircraft take off until those targets are fully met.
“Workers across the UK need to urgently know whether the prime minister is prepared to support the £30 billion of private investment that has already been secured for the expansion plans.
“This is a major test for the government about whether it is serious about transforming the UK’s infrastructure and building a highly skilled, environmentally sustainable economy, capable of dealing with the challenges of the future.”
The British Chambers of Commerce and the CBI called for Heathrow expansion to be kept on track.
But British Airways owner International Airline Group said: “We have always said the environmental impact and cost of Heathrow expansion needs independent review.
“The airport cannot be trusted. Its original £14 billion cost for expansion is now £32 billion.”
And environmental activists now want prime minister Boris Johnson, a long-time opponant of the third runway, to use the judgement to cancel the project altogether.