The French government government has given a tentative green light to a new airport for the city of Nantes.

The authorisation – in principle – of the 450m euro airport was published in the government’s official gazette, after near The new airport would 30 years controversy over whether the project should go ahead. replace the existing aerodrome which is unable to handle the increased volume of air traffic.

The Nantes Chamber of Commerce estimates that 3.2 million people are projected to travel through the city by 2010 - the year when the new airport would be opened. Nantes mayor, Jean-Marc Ayrault says the airport would be “an important step towards the grand plan to develop all of western France.”

However, the Greens party in France have described the project as “a bad blow to durable development,” claiming that the plans were too grand and exaggerated the number of potential passengers.