Manston Airport

[Aviador]

Manston Airport site sold for manufacturing and homes

Very sad news. The developers are planning to dig up the near full length runway and build houses. It seems like madness closing Marston airport considering the need for additional runway capacity in the South East.

 

[Silvercity]

The company behind a bid to return Manston back to a caro airport are also in talks with Ryanair . Should the airport re open as a cargo facility, Ryanair are interested in basing 3 or 4 aircraft there. River Oak the company behind it also hope to encourage KLM back.

 

[Jerry]

3 or 4 aircraft! That's pretty big!

 

[sierrafoxtrot]

I used to live in Kent and the airport has gone through so many owners, I just dont think it will ever "takeoff" as there arent enough potential customers nearby to use it, I know I will get shot for saying that but if it could work it would of done by now. Im sad it is closed and its an airport close to my heart as my first flying experience happened there but I think its just not viable anymore.

 

[Silvercity]

I used to live in Kent and the airport has gone through so many owners, I just dont think it will ever "takeoff" as there arent enough potential customers nearby to use it, I know I will get shot for saying that but if it could work it would of done by now. Im sad it is closed and its an airport close to my heart as my first flying experience happened there but I think its just not viable anymore.

I'm also from Kent, and even as a lad not much happened at Manston, the odd Jersey flight that was about it. There have been a few more attempts more recently, I think Aspro Holidays ran from there for a while, then there was EU Jet, Flybe had a go and lastly KLM. Lydd is the other Kent airfield I keep an eye on, but even through there are plans from there its remote.

 

[sierrafoxtrot]

I'm also from Kent, and even as a lad not much happened at Manston, the odd Jersey flight that was about it. There have been a few more attempts more recently, I think Aspro Holidays ran from there for a while, then there was EU Jet, Flybe had a go and lastly KLM. Lydd is the other Kent airfield I keep an eye on, but even through there are plans from there its remote.

Yes its just too remote for passengers, cargo could work but I dont trust this RiverOak company who seem so determined to buy the airport, it seems odd to me that a US company would be so adamant on buying an airfield in Kent, maybe its just me?

 

[Jerry]

They probably want it to sell for housing. It was suggested elsewhere that if Ryanair were going to base in Kent that Lydd would be the better option as it has the relevant planning permissions for runway extension and a new terminal .

 

[Silvercity]

They probably want it to sell for housing. It was suggested elsewhere that if Ryanair were going to base in Kent that Lydd would be the better option as it has the relevant planning permissions for runway extension and a new terminal .

Yes I understand its own the cards now. Lydd Airport is also close the a railway line, which at present is freight only, its runs to Dungeness I believe, if it at some point in the future a station for the airport was constructed this would allow direct access to Ashford, and beyond.

 

[Silvercity]

Yes its just too remote for passengers, cargo could work but I dont trust this RiverOak company who seem so determined to buy the airport, it seems odd to me that a US company would be so adamant on buying an airfield in Kent, maybe its just me?

You look to young to remember an Airline called Invicta International which was based at Manston......actually I am really, was a bit before me, it's hey day !

 

[sierrafoxtrot]

You look to young to remember an Airline called Invicta International which was based at Manston......actually I am really, was a bit before me, it's hey day !

Ive heard of it but dont remember it, I remember Brymon service to JER from there 🙂

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Ive heard of it but dont remember it, I remember Brymon service to JER from there 🙂

A Vanguard of Invicta International crashed into a mountain near Basel in April 1973. It was on a day trip from Bristol to Basel. 108 people lost their lives, mainly women from local towns and villages in the vicinity of Bristol Airport. The day trip was intended primarily to be a shopping expedition.

 

[Seasider]

Flew on an Invicta Vanguard in May 1975, EMA - LBG for the European Cup Final. Still get annoyed about the result when I think about it.

 

[blotbuc1]

Flew on an Invicta B720B LTN-LBG for the same match. Amazing takeoffs with very light payload. Same feelings about the result!!

 

[Silvercity]

Manston still rumbling on as a cargo facility.

The consortium aiming to re-open Manston as a cargo airport will this week resume its attempt to acquire the site, according to a senior councillor.

RiverOak Strategic Partners is expected to submit a fresh application to force the current owners to relinquish the site through what is known as a Development Consent Order.

The consortium withdrew an earlier application for a DCO after the Planning Inspectorate raised a number of questions around details of the bid.

Manston airport closed in 2014. Picture: Tony Flashman
The current owners are proposing the site be used for a mixed development of 4,000 houses and business use.

The news of a renewed DCO comes ahead of a critical meeting on Thursday when councillors will vote on Thanet’s draft Local Plan - its future blueprint for where houses will be built.

That plan includes a proposal to continue to earmark the site for some kind of aviation use.

Thanet Conservative county councillor Paul Messenger revealed the news that there was to be a second application at a full council meeting.

And he revealed there was the possibility the company - RiverOak Strategic Partners - could offer part of the site for holding lorries during Operation Stack.

In remarks that pre-empted any official announcement from the company, Cllr Messenger said Manston would help build the county’s resilience in the event that Brexit threatened to cause gridlock.

He said: “I am pleased to announce that RiverOak will be submitting its DCO ‘mark two’ this week.

"Manston will provide resilience for freight through Kent because there is evidence that a vast quantity of freight is trucked to and from northern European airports to the UK increasing the costs for all those in the supply chain.

Strategic Partners want to reopen Manston airport. Picture: Alan Langley

"This occurs because cargo shippers cannot find slots at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted and is therefore a major contributing factor to the truck movements through Dover and Folkestone in Kent.”

He went on to say that RiverOak wanted to discuss with KCC and other agencies the idea of using the site for lorry freight.

“A new Manston cargo airport would help reduce “ro-ro” freight through Kent and the channel ports.

"A post-Brexit east Kent will need parking resilience and RiverOak will perhaps be in a position to help KCC through a combined facility for air freight HGVs and sea freight HGVs and I can confirm that RiverOak would be very pleased to enter into such discussions.”

Meanwhile notes of a meeting between officials from the Planning Inspectorate and RiverOak about the DCO have been published.

The notes indicate the Planning Inspectorate has received various assurances about details of its plan.

However, the notes also suggest it again raised concerns regarding the funding of the project.

The notes say “advice from the previous meeting was reiterated in terms of providing evidence-based assurance that adequate funds would be available to enable Compulsory Acquisition (CA) of land and rights within the relevant time period".

RSP said while it was was “keen to demonstrate the availability and credibility of funding” it was “cautious to only release into the public domain such documents as were necessary at a suitable time in the process so as not to prejudice its on-going relationships with funding partners.”

 

[Aviador]

It's mad to think folk in the South East are constantly rumbling about not having enough runway capacity and yet this runway is sat there waiting for some action.

 

[Silvercity]

And its one of the longest in the UK.

 

[paully]

Apparantly the runway isnt long enough for fully loaded freighters, and the road network in that neck of the woods is inadequate. Plus the cost of re activating it is eyewatering. The last owners flogged off everything and even the runway might need re tarmacing. But the main issue is that this Riveroak have never yet come up with evidence they can raise the dosh, for whatever reason.
Been discussed, at length, over time on the `other` forum

 

[Aviador]

And its one of the longest in the UK.

It's not incredibly long at 2,752m and in fact it would possibly need a short runway extension to provide adequate length for full cargo ops but it's still a good length.

 

[Aviador]

the road network in that neck of the woods is inadequate. Plus the cost of re activating it is eyewatering. The last owners flogged off everything and even the runway might need re tarmacing.

Yes it's hardly easy to get to and the cost of bringing the runway back on-line along with connecting it to London and the M25 would be expensive but when you look at the cost on building an entirely new airport such as Boris Island it would be significantly cheaper and probably cheaper than the compulsory purchase required for the new runway at Heathrow.

 

[Silvercity]

Apparantly the runway isnt long enough for fully loaded freighters, and the road network in that neck of the woods is inadequate. Plus the cost of re activating it is eyewatering. The last owners flogged off everything and even the runway might need re tarmacing. But the main issue is that this Riveroak have never yet come up with evidence they can raise the dosh, for whatever reason.
Been discussed, at length, over time on the `other` forum

I am from Kent, and even as a lad, it was pretty much a dead airport certainly for passenger movements, the odd JER. However things do change as years go on. I imagine passenger wise Ryanair could attract passengers there, and have the place to themselves.