The decision on the United Kingdom's future membership of the European Union was made overnight with news breaking about the "Brexit" as most of the country awoke June 24. As the enormity of the news settled, the country's airports responded with their own take on what it means for their futures.

Most of the country's airports and airlines initially felt Britain would be better off remaining as part of the EU.

However, London Heathrow Airport has responded positively about the news, releasing an official statement: "With today's result, the case for expansion at Heathrow is stronger than ever before. Only Heathrow can help Britain be the great trading nation connecting all regions of the UK to the world. It is the keystone that connects businesses of every size to markets across the world as the UK's only global hub airport."

The airport believes its future now lies in achieving its much coveted third runway, which the airport's CEO John Holland-Kaye thinks is the only sustainable option for increasing capacity in South East England. The crunch will come if Boris Johnson becomes the next prime minister following David Cameron's resignation. The former Mayor of London has been outspoken against expanding Heathrow in the past.

The decision on expansion will now likely be delayed further while the dust settles on the referendum and the full implications are discovered. It was hoped a decision on whether Heathrow or Gatwick will be granted a new runway would be announced this summer. The decision is now likely to depend much on the new prime minister of the country, likely to be installed in October.

Holland-Kaye also believes new links to economies outside the EU will now be a natural progression for Heathrow. The airport's statement commented: "Global connections are critical for a new outward-looking UK to help our businesses and economy to thrive — and with expansion we can deliver up to 40 new destinations on top of the 83 we serve now."

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates Manchester, London Stansted, Bournemouth and East Midlands airports, stressed that it hoped the Brexit would not mean a loss of access to the single market.

"The single aviation market that was established by the EU has benefited UK consumers and businesses enormously over the last 25 years by opening up the travel industry to provide greater competition and choice," a MAG spokeperson said. "As the UK enters a new era, MAG will be working closely with the rest of our industry to seek to ensure that UK aviation remains part of that single market so that consumers, business and airlines can continue to benefit from open access to Europe."