London, Feb 27 (IANS): A UK court on Thursday halted Heathrow Airport's controversial planned third runway as the government "did not take climate commitments into account", reports said.

In its verdict on the case brought by environmental groups, councils and the Mayor of London, the Court of Appeal held that the "Heathrow expansion decision was unlawful because it did not take climate commitments into account", the BBC reported.

The judges said that a third runway could go ahead in the future, as long as it fits with the UK's climate policy.

The BBC reported there were "whoops and jumps of jubilation from environmentalists outside the court room" after the judgement was pronounced.

Friends of the Earth, one of the environmental groups that brought the case, said the ruling was "an absolutely groundbreaking result for climate justice" and "has exciting wider implications for keeping climate change at the heart of all planning decisions".

"It's time for developers and public authorities to be held to account when it comes to the climate impact of their damaging developments," the group's Will Rundle said.

While Heathrow said it would challenge the decision in the Supreme Court, the government said it would not appeal.