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A second runway at Gatwick could open by the end of the decade after a last-ditch legal challenge was rejected by appeal judges yesterday.

In good news for the UK’s sluggish economy, the new runway is expected to boost growth by £1billion and create 14,000 jobs.

The £2.2billion scheme will see 100,000 more flights taking off every year from the West Sussex hub, Britain’s second-busiest airport.

Yesterday's Court of Appeal ruling exhausts the legal process, bringing an eight-year planning and legal battle to an end.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: ‘This is a major milestone for Gatwick and for local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands of new jobs.

‘Around 13 million more passengers and 100,000 more flights will give holidaymakers greater choice and strengthen global links to help make the UK one of the most attractive places in the world to invest.

The £2.2billion scheme at Gatwick Airport will see 100,000 more flights taking off every year from the West Sussex hub, Britain’s second-busiest airport

‘We’ll back expansion that supports growth and our climate goals. To drive forward sustainable change, we’re also investing over £219m for green fuel production to cut emissions from flying and secure the future of aviation.’

Pierre-Hugues Schmit, the airport’s chief executive, said the latest court ruling ‘brings to an end an eight-year planning and legal process which has carefully tested and scrutinised every aspect of our expansion plans on multiple occasions’.

He added: ‘We can now press on with the important job of bringing this exciting project to life and move forward into the design and delivery phase.’

The airport will move its emergency take-off strip 12m north to create the second runway, meaning there will be ‘little disruption’ to operations by the development, according to the hub’s bosses.

Campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) took legal action against the Department for Transport over the decision to approve the plans, telling the High Court in January that the Government did not properly assess the scheme’s climate impact.

But Mr Justice Mould ruled at the High Court in June that it was 'neither illogical nor contradictory' for Mrs Alexander not to refuse the proposed development 'on the basis that it would have a material impact on the ability of Government to meet its carbon reduction targets'.

Cagne then asked the Court of Appeal to allow them to challenge the ruling last month, claiming that the judge was wrong.

But in yesterday's ruling, Lord Justice Holgate and Lord Justice Dove dismissed the appeal bid.

In a 29-page ruling, they said: ‘We conclude that each of the grounds of appeal raised by each appellant is unarguable.

‘Neither appeal has a real prospect of success. We also consider that there are no other compelling reasons for either appeal to be heard.’