Tory representives decided it was not a sin to fly low budget

A motion claiming "cheap flights are a false economy" was defeated by 57% to 43% in a debate at the party's annual conference in Bournemouth.

The vote will disappoint Mr Cameron who has put the environment at the heart of moves to change the party's ethos.

Travel writer Simon Calder and style guru Stephen Bayley led the debate.

'Stigma'

Mr Calder, who spoke against the proposal, said he took 100 flights last year and hailed the increase in low cost travel as being a "superb way to transform lives" and create jobs.

"The main purpose of cheap flying is to drive economic growth and unlock human potential," he said.

Aircraft produce 2% of the world's carbon emissions - exactly the same as the world's cow population. I would rather give up beef than air travel. Pilot Norfolk

"Low cost airlines have forced traditional airlines to run like rational businesses."

While Mr Calder said he accepted that there was an environmental cost to no frills travel, he claimed it had also inspired people to see as much of the world as they can.

But Mr Bayley predicted that cheap flights would carry as great a stigma as drink driving over the next few years.

"It's not a matter of tax - it's much more fundamentally a matter of personal responsibility and restraint," he said.

People stopped drink driving when they realised it was selfish and anti-social, he said, adding that low budget flying was a "frivolous use of jets".

"The cost of air travel should actually reflect the damage it does to the environment," he said.

Flooding

A pilot from Norfolk, who spoke out against the motion, said: "Aircraft produce 2% of the world's carbon emissions - exactly the same as the world's cow population.

"I would rather give up beef than air travel.

"The last thing the country or our party needs is more taxes, bit it on air travel or anything else."

Another representative, from Cambridgeshire, in favour of the motion, said: "It's cheaper to go to Venice for lunch than to go to a West End show.

"I don't want to stop people travelling, but by the time my children are the same age as my mother, I don't want their homes to be under six foot of water."

The "hot topic" is one of a series of debates Tory members will be invited to vote on using interactive keypads from the conference floor.