Boris Island could be sunk once and for all today, when the Airports Commission is widely expected to announce it has ruled out a Thames estuary airport.
The new airport backed by the London mayor and parliamentary hopefu l was already hanging by a thread after failing to make the commission's initial shortlist at the end of last year.
Perhaps sensing its fate, Mr Johnson appeared to change his tune slightly in today's column for The Telegraph, suggesting Heathrow could survive as an 'Orly-style airport' even were his dream of an estuary airport realised.
He has previously championed plans to scrap the airport altogether and create a new London borough with tens of thousands of new homes.
He did, however, reiterate his commitment in today's column to the estuary airport plan and his opposition to the expansion of Heathrow or Gatwick airports.
Anticipating today's announcement, anti-Heathrow expansion group HACAN said it didn't expect Mr Johnson to give up on an estuary airport even should it be shot out of the water by the commission.
HACAN chairman John Stewart said: "I don't expect this will mean Boris Johnson or his supporters will give up on the idea of a brand new airport. The idea of an island airport is likely to be floating around for some time yet.
"Mr Johnson remains an implacable opponent of a third runway at Heathrow and has reservations about the value of a second runway at Gatwick.
"This statement makes it clear that (Airports Commission chairman Sir Howard) Davies sees it as a choice between Heathrow and Gatwick. Whether a future government will see it that way is another matter altogether."
Should the commission rule out Boris Island that would make it a three horse race, between Heathrow's own plan for a third runway, an independent bid to extend the northern runway at Heathrow, and Gatwick's proposal for a second runway.
The Airports Commission is set to make its final recommendation on increasing aviation capacity next summer, after the general election.
