 A fourth terminal may be built at Manchester Airport |
Airports in the North West are set to expand under the government's 30-year plan for air travel in the UK. New terminals are set to be built at Manchester Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
At Liverpool, the government has also said the runway could be extended, providing it does not encroach on environmentally sensitive sites.
Any decision to expand Blackpool airport should be taken locally, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said as the proposals were announced in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
Forecasts say 39m passengers could be using Manchester Airport by 2015, with Liverpool having 8m by 2030.
The white paper is the government's framework for the future of air transport in the UK over the next three decades.
 Any decision to expand Blackpool will be taken locally |
The government says it balances the economic benefits that development offers against the environmental impacts. It follows a public consultation exercise which generated 500,000 responses across the country.
Better access to Liverpool John Lennon is also being supported by the government.
It is hoped the Merseytram network will eventually extend to the airport.
While the government supports a fourth terminal at Manchester Airport, it says it should be accompanied by measures to minimise the number of people affected by noise.
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