Airlines have given overwhelming backing to the expansion of Birmingham International Airport.
Officials said they would prefer development of Birmingham rather than Government proposals to build a new, replacement airport near Rugby.
British Airways general manager David Evans said: "The geographical location of Birmingham Airport is of key importance and linking and bringing together multi-traffic modes is absolutely vital.
"We have got a lot invested in this airport and we want to see this airport continue. I am personally quite clear that an extra runway capacity should be located here."
Emirates is planning to expand services from Birmingham, and chief director Tim Clark pledged that, if the airport was to grow, "we will come here and we will do more. This is where the market is - I'm not sure about 30 miles away at Rugby."
Tim Jeane, managing director of MyTravelLite, a low cost airline which recently started operating from Birmingham said: "There has to be a much more concerted effort in this region to sell Birmingham."
