Boris Johnson was challenged at prime minister’s questions in parliament on whether he would hold a vote on expanding Heathrow in the light of renewed pressures on the aviation industry following Cop26.

Labour MP Rupa Huq asked Johnson whether he would “take on the biggest emitter of CO2 in the whole of Europe”. She said the idea of expanding the airport was “pre-Zoom, pre 90% drop in demand”.

Johnson replied: “Rather than taking steps to damage the economy of this country... what we are going to do... is get to net zero aviation. That’s the future for this country; clean, green aviation. 

“I think that has every chance of arriving a lot earlier than a third runway at Heathrow.”

The government’s own target for net zero aviation is 2050.

The Supreme Court threw out a final legal challenge to Heathrow expansion in December 2020.

Johnson said before becoming prime minister that he would “lie down in front of the bulldozers” to prevent a third runway being built at Heathrow.