Plans for a £150m overhaul of Leeds Bradford Airport have been approved in principle by a panel of Leeds City councillors.
The decision follows an eight-hour debate during which dozens of academics, campaigners and businesspeople spoke out for and against the plans.
The airport wants to create the "state of the art" terminal, as well as new parking and access facilities, and has a target of 2023 for opening. It hopes the number of annual flights could increase significantly in the coming decades.
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Objectors, which included climate scientists, transport experts and residents' groups, warned such an expansion would help facilitate catastrophic climate change, as well as unbearable levels of noise pollution for those living close by.
But supporters, which included businesspeople and policymakers, said there was a risk the region could be left behind if it did not improve its airport, and that passengers would otherwise travel from other airports anyway.
The application sought to demolish the existing passenger pier to accommodate a new terminal building and forecourt area. This would also include the construction of supporting infrastructure, goods yard and mechanical electrical plant.
Plans were also included to modify flight time controls, and to extend the daytime flight period at Leeds Bradford Airport, with a likely increase from five to 17 flights between 6am and 7am.
The meeting saw 24 objectors speaking against the plans, each of whom were given two minutes to speak.
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Only five objectors spoke in favour of the application, meaning they were given more time each to speak.
Gerald Jennings from the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce said: "If (passengers) do not fly from LBA, they will jump in their car and drive to Manchester - it seems to me if they don't fly out of our airport, they will fly from another. We can't stop people from flying. The world is bigger than that."
Henri Murison, from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: "If this is denied today, we will be consigning people to driving to London to access them - the surface access costs of that will be the same aviation emissions that have been discussed at great length, with more surface access concerns.
"We cannot cannibalise our economy and destroy jobs, of unionised workers, in the name of climate change - it reduces public support for an issue I personally feel passionate about."
The chairman of Leeds Bradford Airport, Andy Clarke, said: "Our scheme will provide significant improvements, benefits to the regional economy and an improved passenger experience.
Councillors voted by nine votes to five to agree to the plans in principle and to ask officers to make further conditions, for the updated plans to come back to the panel at a later date.