Protestors objecting to the expansion of Stansted Airport lost a legal challenge today against a government decision to allow flight capacity to rise by 10 per cent.
The High Court in London rejected the objection by the Stop Stansted Expansion lobby group, the Press Association reported.
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon said in October that the airport, owned by BAA, a subsidiary of Spain's Ferrovial would be able to raise flights to 264,000 a year from 241,000.
The maximum number of passengers allowed to use the single runway airport in Essex would climb to 35 million a year from 25 million.
The move overruled a decision by local councillors who had refused permission because of noise and environmental concerns.
In December environmental activists briefly stopped flights at the airport when they climbed over security fences and occupied the runway.
The anti-trust regulator has told Ferrovial to sell Stansted as well as its Edinburgh and Gatwick airports to break its commanding hold over the country's airports.
A planning inquiry into Ferrovial's plans to build a second runway at Stansted is due to start in April.
PA