Teesside and Newcastle airports should be upgraded as part of a new strategy mapping out the future of air transport in the UK.

That was the verdict of all nine English regional development agencies (RDAs) who released their collective response to a Government's consultation document on the subject covering the next 30 years.

Dr John Bridge, chairman of One NorthEast, said: "Given the predicted rise in passenger numbers over the next 30 years, both our airports will have a prosperous future.

"The economic significance of our airports cannot be underestimated both in terms of jobs and the high quality services they offer to business."

The proposed strategy supports retention of Heathrow as the national air transport hub, dismisses suggestions to build airports at Cliffe and Rugby and encourages the upgrading of regional airports such as Newcastle, Teesside, Manchester and Birmingham.

The key feature of the proposed Airport and Aviation Strategy for the RDAs is to achieve balanced growth across the UK as a whole.

There was agreement that development of the major regional airports at Bristol, Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool, Luton and Newcastle should be supported in order that they expand their range of business and leisure services over time.