Kent Airport charter flights set for takeoff
25.05.06
The latest attempt by Kent's Battle of Britain airfield, Manston, to become an international passenger airport is set to get off the ground today. And there is also speculation that low-cost airline Ryanair may be offered terms to run services from the airport, its new owner has ambitious plans to get the renamed Kent International Airport to fulfil its potential capacity of more than two million passengers a year.
Passengers services were halted last summer when Planestation, the stock market-listed owner of the airport and its main airline EUJet, went bust. However, from today, a local package holiday company is launching once-a-week charter services to the Costa Brava via Barcelona, and to the Algarve through Faro from the airport.
New owner Infratil, the New Zealand infrastructure group, bought Kent International out of receivership for £17m last year. Infratil, which already owns and operates Glasgow's successful Prestwick airport - the Scottish home of Ryanair - aims to spend £9m upgrading the airstrip and control tower on the way to Kent International rebuilding to 350,000 passengers a year in the short term.
Infratil's business plan says there is 'a strong local market for passengers services' from the 1.9m people who live within an hour of the airport, which is on the Kent coast near Ramsgate. It says it will not repeat the mistake of Planestation - previously known as Wiggins - of investing in an airline whose needs for start-up cash ultimately sank the group.
To book uk airport hotel or airport parking uk at the lowest price, click on these links to two great uk airport parking and uk airport hotel price comparison pages.
