Gatwick might have to wait three years before it knows whether it is being considered for an extra runway.

Peter Bryant, chairman of Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee, said: "There is concern on the horizon as yet another study of airport capacity in the South East is launched. What the implication for Gatwick will be has yet to emerge and may not do so for two or three years. It is a matter which needs to be kept under close scrutiny."

His remarks are contained in his annual report to GATCOM, a watchdog group made up of 28 representatives from Government, local authorities, the aviation industry, the local community and organisations. He said attention to future proposals had not diminished the rigorous work needed to tackle today's issues.

The introduction of quieter aircraft had reduced the intensity of noise, but aircraft movements continued to grow and landing noise had emerged as a major issue. He added: "Ways of reducing this are under active consideration together with the need to tackle the ground noise.

"Local communities were very disappointed that only a small reduction in night noise allowance was made when quotas were reviewed by the Government. Also, there is no progress to report on the lowering of night noise limits, which has been under consideration by the Government for several years."

He said the emerging development strategy was aimed at handling 40 million passengers a year by 2008, ten million more than today. He was encouraged to see that Gatwick had committed itself to developing community partnerships and undertaken to limit environmental impact and manage road traffic.

Mr Bryant concluded: "The challenges for 2000 and beyond are already in evidence and GATCOM has shown it can make an effective contribution to many of the issues. It is always necessary to keep in mind the economic contribution the airport brings to the area, even though this adds a further dimension to the difficult task of balancing many competing issues."