The Communities and Local Government minister John Denham said in an open letter the inquiry could not be held while the future ownership of Stansted remained in doubt.

"It is clear to me that it is neither feasible nor realistic to announce the start date for the Stansted G2 public inquiry until such time as the outcome of the appeal is known," he wrote.

British airports operator BAA is appealing against an order by competition regulators to sell three airports, including Gatwick and Stansted in London, within two years.

BAA is in the process of selling Gatwick.