Future of smaller Regional Airports / Manston Closure?

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    MarcusUK
    Participant

    Following a recent comment / criticism on the BT Forum re KLM pulling out of Manston in Kent, it has recently become clear why it is doing so.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-26940057

    Perhaps we have enough airports around London now, and regional airports such as this, just do not make them viable.
    For sure, Airlines need a firm base and a good catchment of Customers to make it viable, and certainly an airport that has a future.

    Southend has seen some scaling back of flights by Easyjet, Inverness also, Newquay a couple of year ago by several Airlines to London.

    Seems to be a trend for smaller regional airports across the UK, to be losing services, and threatened with closure?


    SimonS1
    Participant

    Unfortunately for Manston the logistics just don’t work.

    There is no real catchment area in NE Kent and many of the people to the south of the airport will find it as easy to get to Gatwick with a much larger route network.

    Also if your journey starts in London the public transport is poor. 1hr 15 from St Pancras once an hour, or 2 hours from Victoria. Then add a taxi journey to the airport.

    Sadly I doing see a lot going for it really.


    BigDog.
    Participant

    Simon is correct, its geographic siting was solely for military purposes primarily as RAF then USAF base. Once that ceased, having negligible catchment it would always struggle.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Re: Southend

    It is true that Easyjet has dropped and added some routes. But Flybe will be expanding.

    http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/100403/flybe-to-launch-six-routes-from-southend


    SimonS1
    Participant

    Southend is a different scenario – up to 8 trains an hour, 55 mins from London.

    Not as convenient as LHR or LGW but comparable to Stansted.


    canucklad
    Participant

    I think Manston’s owners really are imcompetent.

    For the very reasons it failed as a passenger airport, surely it’s geographical location should make it a prime canditate as a cargo hub ?

    After saying that, surely Ramsgate must appeal to the FR crowd ! : )


    SimonS1
    Participant

    I can’t see how it would really work as a cargo hub.

    Geographically isolated on the tip of Kent, 20 miles from the nearest motorway, no rail connections. Hardly an example of integrated transport planning.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    Manston will close down next week after offers for the airport were rejected.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-27294532


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Access by public transport was a big failing. I’d have thought Ann Gloag could have done something about that. Then there were limits destinations to travel too and of course the catchment area was small. Even my sister who lives in Hythe would still travel out of LCY.

    I think it’s future could lie in GA, short trips to France or Belgium and for freight. It would make a great feeder hub into Brussels from where the likes of DHL operate.

    If Lydd can survive surely Manston can?


    JohnHarper
    Participant

    I wonder how much longer MME has to live, there appear to be three connections a day with KLM to AMS and Eastern Airways have three more UK links, surely this cannot be viable?


    SimonS1
    Participant

    I believe Durham has quite a thriving general aviation/instruction business.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Biggin Hill is another example of a former WW2 base that’s successful in the field of GA and private aircraft also in the South of England in Kent. I’m sure Manston could be as attractive.

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