London, Dec 17 (IANS): The UK Supreme Court has approved plans for a third runway at the London Heathrow airport, overturning an earlier judgment in February.

Wednesday's ruling clears the way for the runway to go ahead in a huge boost for the beleaguered aviation industry, so the firms behind Heathrow can now seek planning permission for the runway, which still faces huge controversy from environmental organisations, reports Xinhua news agency.

Britain's Court of Appeal blocked this multi-billion-dollar plan in February, citing the government's failure to adequately take into account climate-change commitments.

But the Supreme Court ruled the plan was lawful based on the environmental commitment at the time it was agreed, and thus unanimously allowed the appeal made by Heathrow Airport Ltd.

In a statement released after the judgment, a Heathrow Airport spokesperson said: "Only by expanding the UK's hub airport can we connect all of Britain to all of the growing markets of the world, helping to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in every nation and region of our country."

According to Heathrow, a three-runway airport will provide up to 740,000 flights a year, enough for the airport to compete on an equal footing with Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

It would also provide sufficient hub-airport capacity until at least 2040.

Environmental organization Friends of the Earth noted the expansion of Heathrow Airport remains far from certain.

"Judgment makes clear that full climate considerations remain to be addressed and resolved at the planning stage, where Friends of the Earth will continue the challenge against a third runway," the organisation said.

The UK government initially approved plans for a third runway in 2009.

Since then the runway project has experienced years of legal battles and political wrangling.