THE federal Coalition looks set to announce a second airport in Sydney in its first term of government if elected, with shadow treasurer Joe Hockey declaring there should be "no barrier" to a hub at Badgerys Creek.

Mr Hockey is pushing hard within party ranks for the western Sydney proposal - perhaps even as an election policy - and said he hoped a "bipartisan" position with Labor could be worked out.

He yesterday likened not having a second airport to not having one in Adelaide or Brisbane and dismissed concerns such a policy could ruin the Coalition's chances of winning the marginal seat of Lindsay.

"The suggestion that (an airport at) Badgerys Creek is going to disadvantage western Sydney is just rubbish," Mr Hockey said.

"If you have a second airport in the Sydney basin there will be a massive financial and employment boost.

"Mark Latham and Pat Farmer as the members for Werriwa (and Macarthur) were strong advocates for it."

"Can you imagine Adelaide or Brisbane without an airport?

"Badgerys Creek has been foreshadowed for 30 years and the Commonwealth owns the land.

"There should be no barrier to Badgerys Creek. There should be no barrier to Wilton either - unless there are environmental reasons."

Mr Hockey would not comment on whether the western Sydney proposal would be taken to the election.

"We'll see what comes out (of the Wilton study) over the next few weeks," he said.

Sydney Airport Corporation chairman Max Moore-Wilton said he had been told by Mr Hockey that a second airport would get the go-ahead under a Coalition government - a move he labelled "irresponsible".

"My understanding from him is a second Sydney Airport will be built sooner rather than later and he will strongly support it," Mr Moore-Wilton said.

"It would seem to fly in the face of fiscal restraint. It's a financially irresponsible statement from a potential federal treasurer with a major deficit."

The federal government will soon release the findings of a study into a second site at Wilton, commissioned by Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese, the draft of which is understood to have found serious environmental and geotechnical concerns.

The push in federal Coalition r anks comes after Nick Greiner and Paul Broad's Infrastructure NSW endorsed a second Sydney airport but Premier Barry O'Farrell rejected their proposal.

Originally published as Hockey backs airport at Badgerys