Abandoned UK airport to reopen with cheap flights to Europe | UK | News
Manston Airport in the Kent, which has been asleep for ten years, is preparing to make a return that offers budget flights to the most important parts of Europe.
The former Royal Air Force Base, known for its important role in both world wars, is currently undergoing an important renovation and will be reopened in 2028.
Initially, the re -revived airport will focus on cargo operations, but there are plans to promote passenger services. Tony Freudmann, the main board of directors of controlling the airport company Riveroak Strategic Partners, said that they are planning to attract short -distance carriers to popular European destinations by expressing optimism in the reproduction of passenger services to BBC.
New infrastructure
It is estimated that Manston’s renewal will cost £ 500 million, including new terminals and upgraded tracks. The airport has a single track of 2,748 meters long and especially width at 60 meters, designed to host emergencies for concorde and space shuttle.
If the cargo side of the operation is successful, passenger roads can be introduced to countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus and Malta. Three years ago, it was reported that the owners of the airport had negotiated with budget airlines, including Ryanir, Easyjet and Wizz Air. Reports Nottinghamshire Live.
Mr. Freudmann told Kent to Online: “When we look at how the passenger market is going, we are sure that we can convince one or more low -cost carrier to base their planes here.
“If they fly only once a day, it doesn’t work for us because it’s not economical.
“This will meet our costs and bring passenger feet from the terminal every day and every day.
Radio silence
Apparently, there was a radio silence in updates following these announcements, Riveroak does not return the last comment request of the mirror.
On the contrary, the ongoing rush at Luton and Stansted local airports may propose an increasing request for increasing passenger flights in the region.
Earlier this year, Riveroak’s own website accepted the tremendous efforts to launch an aviation center and accepted: “Opening an airport-a full-length runway, taxi roads and airport buildings, such as manston-like-like, and therefore will be ready to meet the construction teams on the site”.
This year and the next date with the survey studies planned to breathe a new life to an airport site, and “a process in which we expect to finalize in the beginning of 2026” aims to complete the “Airport Master Plan”. Public participation about potential flights will also take place in this time period.
“At the beginning of 2028, construction works will end and employment for operational roles will begin and we anticipate that we will bring the team together and start detailed preparations to reopen in 2028.”
Nevertheless, the plan to renew the airport was met with loyal resistance. Campaigns from groups such as Don’ton Manston airport drew attention to the past commercial flops of the site and insisted that it was condemned to fail once again, and added that increasing flights would only harm the environment.
Cargo flights
Riveroak captured the site for a cool £ 14 million, and has revealed intentions to start with five cargo flights a day.
Despite the planning officers who advised this, their controversial renovation plans for Manston Airport received green light in 2023. The Planning Inspector expressed concerns that the airport would not provide additional or different services to existing airports and emphasized the potential environmental damage and extra forcibly on the local infrastructure.
Manston Airport, which fell to the material and has financial problems, returned as a truck park to deal with freight problems after Brexit. Once upon a time, the Ağ Parade, which was once circulated, ended the flight services planned to Amsterdam on 9 April 2014.
Flagship airport
Manston was Kent’s flagship airport and left smaller colleagues such as Rochester and LYDD in terms of size and capacity.
Using the renewal of the airport, the company set up to create 650 building businesses, as well as the 2,000 ongoing position after the completion of the work – in all details on the portals. They say safely: “The project has no state financing and attracted a few international investors who are ready to invest £ 800 million in this deprived region of the country.”
As an important national infrastructure project, its status means that Manston has survived local council planning rules, but not without legal drama. Although the Transportation Secretary stigmatized the order of development consent to establish a cargo center in 2020, he saw that the reactions in the courts were reversed.
After a new application, he was once again supported, Kent says Messenger.
Manston Airfield, II. It has a share of the hard stroke date, which is seen as a bombing target that hides exploded ammunitions during World War II and serves as a basic emergency strip for war -shifted aircraft.
