The company which runs Britain's main airports has reaffirmed its £8.4 billion investment programme for London's airports over the next 11 years.

This figure includes a £1 billion spend at Gatwick - a move welcomed by anti runway campaigners.

They say BAA's confidence in Gatwick with just one runway is good news.

Forecasted passenger figures will rise to 157.6 million, from just more than 109 million, in a decade, with 42 million of those at Gatwick.

The plans will increase capacity and improve quality, based on the current two terminal/one runway configuration.

BAA Chief Executive Mike Clasper said: "We are fulfilling our promise to invest heavily in the quality and capacity of our airports for our passengers and airline partners.

"We will establish the airlines' priorities with this current consultation but we are fully delivering on the commitments we made during our regulatory review."

Work at Gatwick includes £68 million on the Pier Six project to improve the services to the North Terminal.

There are also plans to spend £23 million to extend the South Terminal arrivals facilities.

But the lion's share of the Gatwick money - around £90 million - will be spent segregating arriving and departing passengers with a package of security measures.

Brendon Sewill, chairman of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, said: "The announcement demonstrates BAA's confidence in Gatwick's future with just one runway.

"Their own reports state passenger figures will rise to 42 million and this puts into perspective all the doom and gloom put about by business groups."

Thursday May 8 2003