Manston to close on the 15th May

As far as we understand it lost money right through the Infratil ownership, which is why it was sold for £1 plus it’s debts, leaving Infratil with a huge loss on its original purchase price. We understand that it has, since the Gloag purchase, been losing about £10000 a day. The statement from the unsuccsessful bidder is in the Manston thread in Commercial.

The thing I do not understand is that Manston with KLM, Cargolux and the other smaller freight operators during 2013/14 had to be a more profitable place than it was in previous years? So how come it suddenly has to be closed? My wife’s best friend used to live across the road in Minster and last year it seemed busier than ever, certainly busier than the post EU-jet collapse period. To be honest the best Manston could hope for would be the cargo flights, the KLM link and some summer inclusive tour flights. The Thanet Way does make the airport more accessible but its also makes Gatwick and Stansted more accessible to local customers who could use Manston. As I said the logical thing is to sell off the northside and use the money to develop the airport.

“….. if the airport is not financially viable, should it really be kept open for what might largely seen as “sentimental” reasons? “

That’s the key question. If the answer is no then of course mt has to close. However there are those who believe it can be made viable as the last bidder made clear. I understand 11th hour discussions are tasking place but I don’t think anyone now holds out much hope.

The local area does not need houses, it needs jobs first.

Totally agree with you farnboroughrob, but I fear developers would view the site as suitable for “commuter belt” residences, given the good access to Thanet Way (and thus towards Medway Towns and on into London), and nearby rail links to those areas too.

Access to local jobs (or not) doesn’t seem to dictate where housing developers build these days, why worry about building affordable properties for locals when you can build hi-end commuter residences for the monied-types down from London…..

I agree with Martin Hale’s comments – I suspect re-sale to developers was always part of the plan when current owner bought it. Trouble is, if a prospective buyer for any real estate makes the right noises in public ahead of the purchase, how can anyone stop them “changing their minds” at a later date. How often have “financial saviours” later been shown to have had ulteria motives formt he very beginning…

That said, (he says donning a big black hat and cape) if the airport is not financially viable, should it really be kept open for what might largely seen as “sentimental” reasons? Who will foot the bill for an ongoing loss-maker? I’m sure local (or national) taxpayers don’t want to underwrite any more long-term “bail outs” of ailing businesses via higher rates/taxes….

Who vets the business plan of any prospective buyer to see if they really stand any realistic chance of turning a failing business around, especially in cases like Manston, when the buyer always has the option of falling back on the value of a significant chunk of real-estate if their magical (and oft-very vague) “business turnaround” plan doesn’t pan out.

Paul F

This very much smacks of the closure of Plymouth. IIRC local property developers purchase airport and run it for a while and then say it has to be closed as not viable. I went to Plymouth a few months ago and the airport is totally intact but plenty of building work under the approaches. What I do not get with manston is that you have the old north airfield that has not been used for flying since the ATC gliders left. This area is massive and could be sold for development while keeping the airport across the road open. The local area does not need houses, it needs jobs first.

I hope you are a better archaeologist than comedian Malcolm;)

I thought onshore farms had been stopped…….

They were but the tractor drivers were drowning at an alarming rate.

I digress…..Some 60 Sqn Griffins went into Manston the other day thinking they might be the last military movements into and out of there, but some AAC Lynx popped in later, so I heard.

The same happened at Filton: the BBC chartered a Citation to supposedly be the last departure, but at least two further movements (an RC112 and an Apache?) went in the next few days. I suspect history will record it differently because I find no mention of these later flights anywhere.

Very disappointed/annoyed/angry about Manston though: I recall sunny days spent on the ASP, looking after Canadian Starfighters, F-111s and sundry other noisy things. And times when it was full of military helicopters and fixed-wings. Further back it hosted Canucks, KB-29s, RF-84Fs, F-86Hs and anything that would fit. Bigger stuff would get parked further up the Western taxiway and I recall the UK’s first Antonov 22 movements (1986?), complete with a belly full of Hoplites. Those were parked on the runway edge, as were the Aeroflot Tu-104s that had diverted into Manston thirty years earlier (when the USAF had nuke-equipped F-84Fs on base!)

Happy times tinged with a great deal of sadness.

The council have got pound signs in there eyes, “think of how many houses we could build and all that rate money…” but they would as a concession to any protesters name a few streets with aircraft names- Spitfire walk, Hurricane ave, Comet close,etc…

its all down to MONEY these days…

I’m getting the same vibes about Shoreham, under review for the umpteenth time….from what I’ve seen over the years when the council needs cash in hard times it looks to real estate.

‘Brighton, Hove and Worthing Municipal Airport’ never real caught on, did it. Ben Gunn took me to task as a youngster when I asked him about the (then) proposed hard runway…’It’s NOT a runway, it’s a a concrete strip!’ he said. Reminded me of the term, ‘Thorugh Deck Cruiser’ instead of aircraft carrier.

I digress…..Some 60 Sqn Griffins went into Manston the other day thinking they might be the last military movements into and out of there, but some AAC Lynx popped in later, so I heard.

Were there no conditions attached to the £1 sale, like keeping it as an airfield?

I think they just changed the funding rules.

I thought onshore farms had been stopped…….

Standby for the windfarm application?

Yes, in principle but just to get the facts right – £1 plus the debts of about £300.000 plus daily running losses of about £10,000. If you read the detailed statement in Commercial she was offered in excess of her costs to date.

Talking of airfields being built on there is talk that Hucknall is closing at the end of the year to be built on.

Some might say that a £1 purchase price plus an unwillingness to accept an offer equals a parasite/developer in the background. I myself could not possibly comment!

Martin

oh, ok but you get the idea…

Mayors don’t take an active part in council meetings!

picture the scene- a council meeting-the mayor jolts awake – wondering if anyone had noticed him asleep, and says ” I have a cunning plan”…..

And it was of course the council in its obstruction and prevarication over the proposals to extend flying hours for cargo operations that helped to sow the seeds of what has now happened.