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Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the growth drive “outweighs” the government’s net zero commitments, as she prepares to signal his support for airport expansion in the London region, including Heathrow.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Reeves said: “When we say that growth is the number one mission of this government, we mean it. That means it comes above other things.”

Reeves is expected to signal in a speech next week that the government favors expanding Gatwick and Luton airports, while reaffirming his support for a third runway at Heathrow.

Heathrow expansion has previously been opposed by Sir Keir Starmer and several senior Labor figures, and the issue is likely to cause a cabinet split.

A decision on whether to endorse the proposal will force the government to choose between its stated goals of supporting “growth” and reducing the UK’s carbon emissions.

Some Whitehall officials believe that Reeves, a supporter of Heathrow expansion, tried to bounce Starmer into publicly endorsing a third runway. “That is not my assessment,” said an ally of the prime minister.

Starmer, asked about the issue in the House of Commons on Wednesday, refused to comment on “speculation”, and added: “We as a government are committed to growth. We are committed to the aviation sector and to our climate obligations.

In theory, Reeves reiterating his support for a third runway at Heathrow could be a political signal needed by the airport’s management before deciding whether or not to go ahead with the proposals later this year.

In the last House of Commons vote on Heathrow’s third runway in 2018, seven members of the current cabinet voted against it, including Starmer. The others are Ed Miliband, Steve Reed, Lisa Nandy, Darren Jones, Anneliese Dodds and Hilary Benn.

But Heathrow management is reluctant to revive the scheme without clear political support. Miliband, who is now the climate change secretary, threatened to resign because of the issue during Gordon Brown’s government, while the mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, is still against it.

A spokesman for Khan this week said: “The mayor has long-standing opposition to airport expansion around London – linked to the negative impact on air quality, noise and London’s ability to reach net zero by 2030.”

Critics argue that a major expansion of aviation is incompatible with the UK’s legally binding target of reaching net zero carbon emissions, as aviation is one of the hardest industries to decarbonise – despite growing hopes of use of “sustainable aviation fuel”.

Downing Street said this week it still needs a third runway at Heathrow to meet four tests on carbon emissions, noise, air quality and growth. Local noise and air pollution issues are considered by experts to be the most difficult to encounter at the congested west London site.