Chief executive Brett Godfrey called on the Government to becourageous and make a decision on where a second airport should go.

The Virgin boss told the Australian Newspaper, he did not accept MAp's assertions that there was adequate opportunity to expand Sydney Airport.

``I just feel that's what governments are meant to do, aren't they – take courageous decisions? So someone has to stand up and do it,'' he said.

``It will (introduce) some competitive tension, it will mean lower airfares, less congestion and it will provide an economic stimulus not just for this state but for travellers.''

Mr Godfrey said on-time performance for all airlines had declined 5 to 10 percentage points in the past 18 months as a result of congestion

He said Sydney – both the airport and air traffic control – were the major culprits as they struggled to handle the volume.

Virgin had already run out of space at Sydney Airport.

``Slots are not the issue, it's actually infrastructure and whether Sydney's got the capacity, as they've alluded to, to be able to meet the demands,'' he said.

``I think they're talking the next decade or 20 years where they believe they have enough, but I don't think they do

by Steve Creedy | News.com.au