A major consultation on the future of air travel which was launched this week, could see Leeds Bradford International Airport expanded.

Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, is seeking the views of residents and industry officials on how to develop aviation services in the North of England over the next 30 years.

Major plans include examining the possibility of expanding local airports, such as Leeds Bradford, due to an expected increase in passengers numbers.

The consultation will be looking at whether new airport capacity should be provided in Yorkshire, if so how much and where it should be located.

Plans to build a new airport in Doncaster could be one answer to providing more air travel locally or an extension of Leeds Bradford Airport's runway.

Another query will be if capacity is extended locally should it be concentrated at one or two key airports or spread amongst all of the nine airports in the North of England.

The growing demand for air travel has been the catalyst for the consultation, which forms part of a nationwide exercise to help the government develop its aviation policy for the whole of the UK up to the year 2030.

The measures controlling the environmental impacts of any airport growth will be high on the agenda.

Mr Darling said: "There has been a six fold increase in air travel since 1970. Now half the population flies at least once a year and demand is expected to continue to grow.

"Providing a framework for sustainable development for the next 30 years and beyond is essential. How much additional airport provision is needed and where it should be located? We need to deal with the environmental impact of expansion and its effects on the people living close to airports.

l The deadline to responses to the consultation is November 30, and public enquiries can be made by calling 0845 1005554.