Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has promised "a swift and robust" review of the rules governing airport expansion to ensure a final decision on Heathrow's third runway can be made within this parliament, which runs until summer 2029.
Ministers want the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), the framework within which any expansion is considered, to be put out to consultation next year.
Previous work to launch the ANPS in 2018 took five years, but the government has said it is committed "to going further and faster" to deliver a reviewed draft ANPS by summer 2026.
