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The mayor of London Boris Johnson has swiftly dismissed a third runway at Heathrow as 鈥渘ot the answer鈥�, .

Johnson told the BBC鈥檚 Today programme that he still favoured building a brand new airport in the Thames Estuary - an option he has long-supported but which the Davies Commission rejected at the shortlisting stage last autumn.

Johnson said: 鈥淸Heathrow鈥檚] plan is the same, if not worse, than the one on the table six years ago. I don鈥檛 think this is going to happen, this is the sort of thing you could possibly have got away with in China in the 1950s but the impact on London, the impact on the city, the environmental cost, the whole human rights, legal challenges that will inevitably ensue will be so great that I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 deliverable.

鈥淚 think, actually, having circled around and around this debate for years and years, as we have, we will eventually come in to land at the estuary, that is where this is going to end up.鈥�

Johnson鈥檚 intervention is an early indication that the Davies report could spark a row between Conservative cabinet ministers - a handful of whom are known to oppose Heathrow expansion.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin will provide an initial response to the Airports Commission鈥檚 findings in a statement to parliament after Prime Minister鈥檚 Questions this lunchtime, but a full government response and decision is not expected until the end of this year.

When asked about Boris鈥� opposition to Heathrow expansion at a press conference this morning, Davies said: 鈥淭he mayor says it won鈥檛 work, but the mayor says a lot of things鈥�.

Meanwhile, the Labour party gave Davies鈥� report qualified support. Michael Dugher, shadow transport secretary, said: 鈥淲e will scrutinise the Airports Commission鈥檚 final report carefully.

鈥淚f the recommendation can meet a number of tests, including consistency with our climate change obligations, we will take a swift decision to back Sir Howard Davies鈥� proposals.鈥�

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