The European Commission is to launch a strategy next month which will aim to encourage the building of stripped-down facilities at airports such as Edinburgh and Aberdeen, as well as major European hubs such as Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

At present, many low-cost carriers fly to smaller regional airports which are a long way from city centres. Examples include the Frankfurt-Hahn airport used by Ryanair, which is 81 miles from the city and lies in a different German state, and Skavsta airport which serves Stockholm but is 60 miles south of the Swedish capital. Budget carriers opt for the smaller airports because they can negotiate lower landing charges there than at major terminals.

The Commission will propose the move next month in a paper that was originally planned for publication last week, along with proposals for emissions trading among carriers.

A Brussels source said: "The proposal is part of a directive on airport charges, but it has been delayed until January for translation reasons.

"It would be directed at having airports build terminals with limited facilities and charge carriers less to use it."

Such a plan has already been brought in at Glasgow Airport, which last year opened a special 'no frills' terminal for low-cost carriers such as easyJet and FlyGlobespan, the Scottish-based budget carrier.

In contrast to 'traditional' terminals, these facilities do away with seating, shops and cafés and cost the airline less to use. If customers want to get food or drink or do some shopping, then they must go to other parts of the airport, for example near or after the security gates.

The biggest boost for Scottish customers is likely to come in the way of more no-frills flights from Edinburgh and Aberdeen as well as more airports abroad with better connections to city centres.

Airport companies have welcomed the idea of different services and charges for budget carriers as a way of raising raise cash to pay for the forecast increase in air traffic.