Plymouth City airport to close

Competition from Newquay and Exeter airports means Plymouth airport must close as losses look set to pass £1m Plymouth City airport is to close by the end of the year. Its owner, property firm the Sutton Harbour Group, said it was unable to make the struggling airport financially viable and losses meant the airport had to close. Plymouth is in fierce competition in the South West with larger airports in Newquay and Exeter. Nigel Godefroy, chief executive of the Sutton Harbour Group, said: “During our 11-year involvement with Plymouth City Airport we have done everything in our power to make it a success, even launching our own regional airline. “So this has been an incredibly difficult decision, given the efforts by so many, including our own staff, to give the airport a future. “We have always fought for Plymouth’s air links and sought to do our best for the city and its people, our employees and shareholders, but the usage of the airport simply does not support the high cost of operation.” In a statement, the firm said “the wider economic downturn and challenges for the UK regional aviation market” were to blame for the planned closure. It said losses were set to pass the £1m mark over the next year. With its connection with Gatwick having ended in February, it anticipated departing passenger numbers dipping below 100 a day. Sutton Harbour sold off its airline, Air Southwest – which is based at the airport – last year, as it struggled against competition locally from Exeter-based Flybe. Its new owner, Hull-based Eastern Airways, axed a number of routes from Plymouth. Tim Jones, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council, said losing the airport was a huge blow to the city and urged Sutton Harbour and Plymouth city council, which owns the land on which it is built, not to use it for housing or any other use, suggesting it be “mothballed” for five years until the economy picks up. “Its value as an airport is in excess of £1bn, that is what it would cost to build again from scratch,” he said. “Using the land for housing would only recoup around £40m. “If the city had a motorway or a fast train line this move would be more palatable. But without them the airport is a vital transport link.” Air transport Airline industry guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 28, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.