Such is the media's obsession with Boris Johnson and his daft idea for a new Thames Estuary airport - impossible anyway because of its proximity to European airspace - the quiet progress of Gatwick's counter-bid to Heathrow expansion went largely unnoticed.

It represents a triumph for the patient lobbying of Gatwick's chief executive Stewart Wingate, who tells Agenda the Gatwick option is now coming up fast on the rails because it "meets the aviation needs of the future, and will provide a better service to Scots passengers tired of being let down by Heathrow in difficult times".

He said: "We believe the Gatwick second runway would provide Scots travellers with greater choice, better value and a more reliable connection. But more importantly, it is deliverable, unlike the Heathrow runway which has been ruled out many times and will be again, on the grounds that it is politically toxic, environmentally difficult and hugely expensive for passengers."