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UK Secretary of State provides positive feedback for Blackpool Airport

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UK Secretary of State provides positive feedback for Blackpool Airport

 

While it’s unlikely that scheduled passenger flights will return to Blackpool Airport in the near future, the longer term prospects for the under-used facility may be a little brighter following positive feedback from the UK Secretary of State.

 

Distant memory

Scheduled passenger flights are a distant memory for supporters of Blackpool Airport and there’s little chance of them returning in the immediate future, however a visit from the Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, has boosted hopes that the facility has a brighter future.

 

Oldest in the UK

Blackpool Airport is one of the oldest in the UK, having opened for business in 1909, and the facility really took off in 2000 when services were provided to European and domestic destinations by airlines such as Jet2, FlyBe and the now defunct Monarch. Nevertheless, in 2014 an announcement was made by the airport owners that commercial traffic would cease and as things stand, the only operators are Medevac, business flights and general aviation.

 

Future development

Nevertheless, on a recent visit, Louise Haigh underlined her intention to work alongside key partners and investigate the possibility of future development of Blackpool Airport in the event that commercial operators were interested in resuming passenger flights.

She said: “We can absolutely look if there is an appetite for commercial flights from Blackpool Airport and there is the demand there.

“I am really passionate about regional airports and encouraging growth in the whole country, through aviation.”

A further boost for the facility came last month when Fylde Council gave the green light for the building of a passenger handling facility which will be capable of accommodating up to 45 passengers.