{"id":261,"date":"2024-03-15T18:31:54","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T18:31:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecarma.co.uk\/?p=261"},"modified":"2024-03-16T12:50:01","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T12:50:01","slug":"manston-airport-will-never-take-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecarma.co.uk\/?p=261","title":{"rendered":"\u201cMANSTON AIRPORT WILL NEVER TAKE OFF\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Head of Thanet District Council says Manston Airport development plans are doomed to fail <\/strong>

A candid interview with TDC leader Rick Everitt has revealed that the Labour councillor believes that plans to re-open Manston airport will never get off the ground. Said Everitt: \u201cWhatever you think about Manston, the question is: is it viable? \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commercially Manston Airport has never succeeded. It failed three times and closed in 2014, handling just 3,000 tonnes of freight a year. It lost investors \u00a3100million and cost locals their jobs and, in some cases, personal investments. Experts say Manston Airport is unviable and not needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Thanet Cllr Rick Everitt” “I don’t think Manston will re-open as an airport”<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Everitt was quizzed last week about TDC\u2019s role in the future of Manston Airport on a podcast called Kent Politics (Episode 5). \u201cIt\u2019s really up to the legal process to sort itself out,\u201d he said referring to the ongoing legal challenge to the Manston development, which is due to be heard at the Court of Appeal next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirty eight minutes into the podcast the councillor confirmed that the fate of the airport was out of TDC\u2019s hands.  Said Everitt: \u201cThe reality is \u2013 despite what people say every time there\u2019s an election \u2013 Thanet District Council has no say, at this point, over whether the airport opens or not. The big question for the owners is whether or not they\u2019ve got a viable business plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


When pushed about the chances of the airport development being a success, Everitt responded. \u201cI don\u2019t think it will re-open as an airport, if I\u2019m honest, because I don\u2019t think the plan is likely to be viable. All the studies that have been carried out on this – that have challenged the need [for the airport] \u2013 have said that there isn\u2019t actually the demand for it. My view is that, whatever you think about it, the question is: is it viable? And my personal opinion is that is it unlikely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Kent County Council report on the airport noted: \u201cManston has failed over a prolonged period of time to run as a commercially successful airport. Kent County Council gave strong support to various investors but the reality of commercial aviation at Manston Airport led to very significant losses.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019 the Govt\u2019s Planning Inspectorate examined proposals for re-opening Manston and recommended it should not go ahead, stating: \u201dManston appears to offer no obvious advantages to outweigh the strong competition that [other] such airports offer.\u201d
Aviation experts \u2013 including Ove Arup, Avia Solutions and York Aviation \u2013 predict the airport will continue to struggle because of its remote location, lack of local demand and strong competition at existing airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen to Rick Everitt talk about Manston here: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n