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Business leader have welcomed a perceived softening the government鈥檚 opposition to a third runway at Heathrow, as the chancellor indicated that an eagerly awaited policy paper on airport capacity in the south-east would be delayed until summer.

In his budget statement yesterday George Osborne said the government鈥檚 much-anticipated aviation policy paper, due to be published by the Department for Transport this month, would not now be published until the 鈥渟ummer鈥�.

The policy paper had been pitched as a 鈥渃all for evidence鈥� document seeking view on how the UK can best maintain its status as an international aviation hub.

The delay comes after David Cameron that the policy paper would 鈥渋nclude an examination of the pros and cons of a new airport in the Thames estuary鈥�.

In his speech the prime minister acknowledged publicly for the first time that the south-east lacked sufficient capacity and insisted the nation needed to retain its status as a 鈥渒ey global hub for air travel 鈥� not just a feeder route to bigger airports elsewhere in Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Dubai鈥�. He warned the solution 鈥渨ill be controversial鈥�.

Following the chancellor鈥檚 budget statement, John Cridland, director-general of the CBI, said business was 鈥渂eginning to win the battle for extra capacity in the south-east鈥�.

鈥淲hilst all the focus has been on whether we need a third runway at Heathrow or not, the battle we need to win first is establishing that we cannot run our airports properly without extra capacity. Once we win that argument, it is a locational issue,鈥� he said.

While Ashley Steel, KPMG鈥檚 global chair for transport, said 鈥渁t long last pressure from business and lobby groups appears to be weakening the government鈥檚 previous resolve鈥�.

鈥淔inally there is hope for a third runway at Heathrow,鈥� he added.

Paul Sheffield, Kier chief executive, said the government鈥檚 policy review must also look at the possibility of a third runway at Heathrow.

He said: 鈥淭he government needs to sort out its airports policy, so finally going ahead completely with a review of London鈥檚 airports - including Heathrow.

鈥淚t would be foolish not to consider another runaway at Heathrow - it would just be a glaring omission. But I can鈥檛 help feeling though that for these huge infrastructure schemes the only way they will ever appear affordable is if the government is brave enough to put a 50 year plan together rather than a five-year plan because with a five year plan it will never work

鈥淵ou鈥檝e really got to think about where does the nation want to be in 50 years time and how are we going to get there and I don鈥檛 think you鈥檙e going to get there with sticking plasters and bandages on what you鈥檝e already got.鈥�