Boris Johnson thrilled by Foster's new plan for Thames island airport

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Architect Lord Foster has instigated a project for a giant four-runway airport on the Isle of Grain in Kent.

Powered by the tidal energy of the North Sea, it would have capacity for 150 million passengers, making it the biggest hub in the world. The Mayor has previously called for an airport built on two floating islands near Whitstable that would be connected to London by high-speed rail links, saying a new airport in the Thames would be "the most powerful single statement we could make about the ambition of this country".

But he has always said he is open to other suggestions for a location and sources close to the Mayor today said he is "thrilled" with the Foster plans and will now raise them with Mr Osborne.

Mr Johnson said: "I am grateful to Lord Foster for spelling out the potential for a new airport, properly rooted in a broader vision for the Thames estuary, where it would make a vital contribution to economic growth.

"I believe this is vital not only so London remains in the premier league of aviation, but also to generate jobs and opportunities for decades."

A source added: "Boris has never been wedded to the location he had looked at for the island project. He is absolutely thrilled that someone as highly-regarded as Lord Foster has taken this on."

A spokesman for Foster and Partners - which designed Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport on an artificial island - said Lord Foster instigated the airport project himself.

It is claimed the Foster scheme, estimated to cost from £40 billion to £50 billion, could be completed by 2030, linking the South-East's ports, rail, road and air traffic.

Lord Foster said: "These visionary proposals are far from future fantasy. More than 10 years ago Hong Kong built what was then the world's largest airport at Chek Lap Kok in just four years."

But John Olsen, the former head of Cathay Pacific who favours an airport at Cliffe in Kent, said: "This is a totally inappropriate location for a large hub. There are local populations nearby and there is the issue of wild birds on the island. This proposal is getting into the realms of fantasy and dreamland."

Paul Outhwaite, from the RSPB, described the idea as "a massive act of environmental vandalism".