Boris 'on Fantasy Island' over airport in estuary

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In her final speech as Transport Secretary, she slammed his call for a new airport in the Thames estuary as irresponsible and damaging to London.

"Boris may find his Fantasy Island airport a useful device to distract from the Tories' divisions on Heathrow," she told the Labour conference. "I call it politically opportunistic, economically irresponsible and environmentally disastrous."

Ms Kelly also announced a review of airlines to prevent a repeat of the ordeal suffered by passengers who were left stranded when XL collapsed.

And she promised an extra £25 million to "kickstart new bus services in both urban and rural areas".

Last week Mr Johnson declared that siting Heathrow in west London was a "mistake" because two million people were affected by flight-path noise.

But Ms Kelly accused him of manufacturing the issue to avoid the question of whether or not to expand Heathrow with a third runway.

"The real test of the character of a politician - or a party - is how they deal with difficult times and unpopular decisionsnot just the easy ones," she said. "If London is to thrive as a major international hub, supporting the UK economy by providing good international connections, then it needs a hub airport that has sufficient capacity."

She claimed Labour was on the side of ordinary families in championing cheap air travel. "We all cherish the opportunity to visit friends and relatives abroad, catch up with loved ones, or take a well earned holiday," she said.

"But if we want to maintain those hardwon opportunities, I truly believe we must be brave in challenging those who would ration flying and make it once more the preserve of the rich."

Campaigners against Heathrow say an airport on an artificial island or stilts in the estuary would enable 24-hour takeoffs and landings with less disruption.

Ms Kelly argues that such a plan would be unsafe because flocks of seabirds would endanger aircraft. It would also be costly and require the building of a new town to serve the airport as well as motorway links and the equivalent of a new Crossrail scheme.