DELEGATES from Heathrow and Gatwick Airports have been courting the business community in Scotland to win support for their respective plans for expanding airport capacity in the south east of England.

And further representations are scheduled as lobbying intensifies before the Davies Commission makes its final recommendation to the UK Government, expected after the general election in May.

The commission will launch a public consultation on its three short-listed options - a new runway for Heathrow, a new runway for Gatwick, or the extension of an existing runway at Heathrow - next week. So far, Heathrow Airport has won the backing of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce after hosting a series of roadshows with chambers in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness and Glasgow.

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: "On balance we are more persuaded by the proposals for Heathrow expansion.

"We were not convinced that splitting international connections between Gatwick and Heathrow would serve our members so well."

But Gatwick has an ally in Edinburgh Airport, whose chief executive Gordon Dewar has described it as "the only viable option".

That came as Gatwick held its own chambers of commerce roadshows, with visits planned for Aberdeen and Inverness next month.

Scottish Chambers of Commerce, which represents 26 chambers across Scotland, acknowledged a "pressing need" to expand aviation capacity in the south east of England to help Scottish firms build trade links.

Head of policy and research Garry Clark declined to be "specific about what that might be", but said the Heathrow case was "compelling".