Large-scale commercial flights not on the cards for Blackpool Airport
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Large-scale commercial flights not on the cards for Blackpool Airport
Holidaymakers heading for the sun could once fly direct from Blackpool Airport but those days are long gone and they won’t be returning any time soon, according to airport managing director Steve Peters.
Master plan
A 10-year master plan has been in place for Blackpool Airport and the under-used facility is already two years into this, however as things stand it seems as though the return of commercial holiday flights is dead in the water. Indeed, even the return of once-popular flights to closer destinations such as the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland could be some years away, according to Steve Peters, managing director of the airport.
Future secure
Steve recognises that Blackpool Airport’s strength lies with attracting corporate jets and private general aviation, while the facility offers a helicopter terminal for offshore traffic. While this is hardly good news for passengers wanting to head off to the sun from the local airport, it does at least secure the future of an airport which was very close to complete closure a few years ago.
Economics
The fact is that the return of large scale commercial operations doesn’t make economic sense for Blackpool Airport and Steve Peters points to Teeside Airport which has pushed for more commercial flights and which is now around £80 million in debt.
Small-scale
He said: “The brutal reality of airport economics doesn’t stack up for Blackpool in terms of the return of large-scale commercial operations.
“So we are cutting our cloth accordingly and looking at small-scale regional scheduled domestic flights within the UK and across to Ireland and the Isle of Man. But that is four to five years away.”
New facilities
Nevertheless, Blackpool Airport now handles upwards of 40,000 air traffic movements and there are plans in place which could see the construction of a new air traffic facility as well as new aircraft hangars and fire fighting equipment.
All things considered, Blackpool Airport now has a brighter future than that of only a few years ago and while the facility is yet to break even, latest figures indicate that the business is well ahead of the financial forecasts.