DURHAM Tees Valley Airport could be handed a lifeline after the Government said it would protect regional routes into Heathrow should a third runway be given the go-ahead.

The move would exempt carriers from costly Air Passenger Duty and be the first time that flights from Heathrow to regional airports have been safeguarded under so-called Public Service Obligations.

MPs are due to vote on a national policy statement that will pave the way for the construction of a third runway at Heathrow, the cabinet having already approved the plans.

Meanwhile, in another potential boost for Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) it has emerged that the airport is on a list of up to 18 domestic destinations being considered by budget airline easyJet as part of its plans for a potential base at an expanded Heathrow.

Passenger numbers have plummeted in recent years with the airport having to rely on Aberdeen and Amsterdam flights after BMI withdrew its Heathrow service in 2009.

A spokesman for DTVA, whose future has only been guaranteed by owner Peel up until 2021, said Air Passenger Duty – which equates to £26 per passenger per return flight – was a “particular impediment” to domestic routes.

He said: “We strongly support the expansion of capacity at Heathrow and welcome the decision of the Government to approve the building of the third runway.

“This clearly offers the opportunity for increasing regional links to the UK’s international hub at Heathrow, including the prospect of restoring the service from Durham Tees Valley, which would be of real benefit to the business community and the whole area.”

The spokesman added that it was “encouraging that a number of airlines have already indicated their interest in developing new routes from Heathrow and we look forward to exploring potential opportunities for the future”.

Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson said he would hold the Department for Transport and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to their guarantees should the third runway eventually receive take-off as expected.

He said: “A third runway is critical to regional connectivity and would allow passengers from smaller airports like DTVA to have connectivity to the rest of the world.

“These guarantees [to protect regional routes] would be good for the future of the airport and good for the economy of the Tees Valley.”

Cllr Chris McEwan, Darlington council cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “[A third runway] is potentially very important for the Tees Valley, both in terms of the slots for the airport and also for the creation of a Heathrow supply hub based here which would bring jobs to the area.

“There will be other benefits as well – for instance, there’s a firm in Darlington which makes all the specialist poles for airfield lights, and I hope that sort of business will receive a boost.”

At the recent Heathrow Connectivity Conference held in London, Robert Carey, easyJet’s chief commercial and strategy officer, said expansion at Heathrow would bring “significant benefits” to all parts of the UK.

He said: “This expansion would enable low cost airlines like easyJet to operate from Heathrow, allowing them to provide new routes and increased competition on dozens more UK and European routes.

“We look forward to engaging with the UK’s regional airports and their Governments and other local organisations to work out which regions will enjoy the largest growth in passenger demand and economic benefits from new connections to Heathrow and the rest of the world.”

A spokeswoman for Newcastle International Airport said: “We welcome the Government’s announcement that it will reserve slots at Heathrow for domestic flights if expansion goes ahead.

“We look forward to discussing with the Government how the proposed measures might benefit our Newcastle to Heathrow route.”

The airport’s chief executive officer Nick Jones said it had campaigned for a third runway for more than a decade and urged the region’s MPs to continue their support.

Mr Jones warned that its Heathrow service, which has six daily flights and carries more than half-a-million passengers a year, could be “gradually squeezed out” as existing remaining capacity at Heathrow was increasingly being used by larger long-haul aircraft.

He said: “With the various challenges our region will face in the coming years, we cannot afford to see the North-East lose its access to what is currently its biggest hub.”

UK Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said 15 per cent of the new slots made available at an increased capacity Heathrow would be used for domestic services.

Routes could also be reserved for specific times to ensure they deliver services for passengers when they most need them, for example early morning flights which will cater for businesses.