Gatwick Airport has proposed adding a second runway that could open in 2025.

Unveiling expansion plans that could cost up to £9 billion, airport chiefs said that they would meet London and UK connectivity needs for a generation, boost choice and enhance competition.

They say the estimated cost of between £5bn and £9bn is a fraction of the cost of expanding Heathrow, that noise impacts would be substantially lower than for Heathrow’s plans, and that a two-runway Gatwick would affect fewer than 5% of the people affected by Heathrow.

These are the key proposals in the airport’s submission to the Airports Commission chaired by Sir Howard Davies. It claims that a second runway is the “most affordable, sustainable and deliverable solution” for London and the UK, based on evidence showing it can keep within the European and national air quality standard limits.

Stewart Wingate, London Gatwick chief executive, said: “London is the best connected city in the world today because the UK’s aviation industry is one of the most competitive and innovative. Our proposal to the Airports Commission builds on this foundation and would ensure that the UK has an airports policy which offers the additional capacity that Britain needs, improves the resilience of the airports system and, above all, can be delivered.

“Our evidence shows clearly that an additional runway at Gatwick would best serve the needs of all passengers, and give certainty to airlines, communities and businesses. It would deliver the connectivity the UK needs with lower environmental impacts, whilst spreading the economic benefits. A two-runway Gatwick, as part of a constellation of three major airports surrounding London, will also provide flexibility in an industry where the only constant is change.”