Contrary to popular worries, mass cancellations of short-haul flights hasn't so far caused the world to end and most of us are carrying on with our business as usual. People are still able to travel anywhere within the uk using trains, buses and other public transport - all of which are ten times less polluting. All the rich people heading off to sunnier climes for Christmas are the ones being affected, the vast majority of air travellers come from the higher social classes and these are the people complaining most loudly.

Perhaps Londoners will be able to breathe slightly easier today though - Heathrow airport is already breaching UK and EU legal limits for the high levels of nitrogen dioxide.

Plane Stupid demands a fundamental rethink of the government's 2003 Aviation White Paper which predicts that air travel will treble by 2030: an increase in annual plane journeys from 180 million to 501 million.

We want to see airport expansion plans scrapped, a tax on aviation fuel and an end to short haul flights.