Cargo volumes at Heathrow Airport have grown 1.6 per cent over the past 12 months fuelled by rises to emerging markets.

The airport says airfreight to Mexico has increased by 36 per cent, to Turkey 25 per cent, to Brazil 13 per cent and to India five per cent.

But in September, Heathrow saw a fall and handled 119,091 tonnes, which was down 4.4 per cent on the same month last year. For the first nine months of 2015 it has processed 1.1 million tonnes, which is a 0.2 per cent rise on the same nine months in 2014.

For the past 12 months, cargo volumes have risen 1.6 per cent with the airport handling just over 1.5 million tonnes.

Heathrow says if it is expanded with a third runway built, it will be a “driving force in rebalancing the UK’s economy by creating more export links to fast-growing markets”.

Heathrow chief executive officer, John Holland-Kaye, says: “With Heathrow expansion, we have a once in a generation opportunity to create 180,000 jobs and provide future generations with the sustainable infrastructure they’ll need to keep Britain at the heart of the global economy.

“The Chancellor called for Britain to build the new roads, railways and runways it needs to prosper. Heathrow is ready to build – let’s make it happen.”