More planes will be using both airports in the region

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling gave the go-ahead as part of the government's 30-year plan for air travel in the UK.

Newcastle Airport recently published a master plan for development up until 2016, in which it said expansion would create about 3,500 new jobs.

Teesside Airport, which is likely to be renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport, has also been identified by the government for possible expansion.

Mr Darling told the House of Commons that the new package of measures would support the growth of aviation in the north of England.

The White Paper, The Future of Air Transport, concludes that significant passenger growth is expected at both Newcastle and Teesside.

30-YEAR PLAN New runway at Stansted "as soon as possible" New runway and possible sixth terminal at Heathrow between 2015 and 2020 Environmental conditions imposed on Heathrow's expansion No new runway at Gatwick until after 2019 if Heathrow conditions not met New runway at Birmingham Possible new runway at Edinburgh by 2020 Possible runway extensions at Aberdeen and Inverness No new Midlands airport, East Midlands to expand without new runway Extra terminal and runway extension at Bristol Proposed new airport at Cliffe, Kent abandoned No expansion of Luton Airport Extra terminal capacity at Manchester and Liverpool Lennon Expanded terminal and runway at Newcastle Capacity to increase at Cardiff but no new south-east Wales airport

He said he supported plans to expand existing terminal facilities and extend the runway at Newcastle Airport.

He added that there was also scope for extending both terminal facilities and runway length at Teesside Airport.

Mr Darling said: "There has been a five-fold increase in air travel since the 1970's. Half the population now flies at least once a year, and many fly far more often than that.

"Forecasts suggest demand could be 2-1/2 times current levels by 2030.

"Airfreight has doubled in the last 10 years - one third by value of all goods we export go by air.

"Air travel is essential to the United Kingdom's economy and to our continued prosperity.

"The aviation industry directly employs 200,000 people with a further 600,000 jobs supported indirectly.

"We need to plan ahead so we can continue to benefit from the economic and social advantages of air travel, but at the same time deal with the impacts of increasing air transport for the environment."

Newcastle and Teesside have seen a boom in low-cost air travel in recent years.

At Newcastle, easyJet flies to several UK and European destinations.

At Teesside Ryanair and bmibaby are already well-established.