Andy Clarke told The Yorkshire Post that the new £150m facility would be the most environmentally-friendly airport terminal in the country and would serve as a catalyst for job creation and investment.

The former Asda chief executive added that airlines had made contact with airport bosses following the decision by the planning department of Leeds City Council to give the go-ahead and that he was hopeful of increased business and leisure options for the region.

Mr Clarke said: “Strategically this is a big step forward. Leeds has been developing as a modern economically growing city. We have new station and a world-leading children’s hospital.

“How fantastic for the city and region to have an airport that can strand proudly alongside those assets. It is a big step forward.”

The airport will now press ahead with its proposal to demolish the existing passenger pier to accommodate a new terminal building, alongside supporting infrastructure, a goods yard and a mechanical electrical plant.

The initial plan was to have passengers arriving and departing the new facility by 2023 but this date has now been scrapped with no firm replacement yet determined.

While councillors approved the plan they have provided stipulations for doing so which now need to be legally ratified between the council and the airport’s management team.

“It has been a long time coming,” said Mr Clarke. “Some conditions we need to work through over the course of the process. It is fair to say existing time frames are going to have to change. We have not put a date on opening yet, it’s actually too early to do that.

“But we are going to build the most environmentally efficient terminal in the country with net zero carbon emissions.

“Once you start the build programme the opportunities begin. There will be builders, contractors and engineers to get us through the construction phase and then the numbers that we have applied to this indicate £900m of economic growth.

“You will see that in jobs and employment benefits that will flow from it. We are going to land something we can all feel very proud of.”

When asked about the potential for new routes that could bring more direct access to the region, Mr Clarke said: “The conversations we have had with airlines for business travel have been very positive.

“We have calls already from airlines from yesterday’s decision saying how exciting it is that we are moving forward.

“For those passengers who might stray to other airports because of destinations or location, we now have an asset which will retain them in Yorkshire.”

Charles Johnson, head of planning development at Leeds Bradford, said that he and his team had made clear to planning officers at Leeds City Council that the impact in terms of noise pollution would “not be significant”.

The decision to approve the airport plan was voted through by nine votes to five and followed a near nine-hour debate in which both pro and anti- contributors were involved.

Leeds Bradford Airport chief hails terminal plan decision as 'big step forward' for Yorkshire