Trials for passenger jet at London Ashford Airport
25.02.07
A Boeing 737 passenger jet has been performing take-off and landing trials at London Ashford (Lydd) Airport. The airport is seeking permission to expand and the jet, a favourite of low cost airline's such as Ryanair, is the type that will be used if the airport is granted planning permission for the expansion.
Airport managers said they had paid a five-figure sum to hire the Boeing 737-300 series but it would be money well spent if it helped to demonstrate how well the airport can cope with modern passenger jets. The aircraft spent three hours at London Ashford on Saturday flying circuits of the area to try to dispel objectors' fears.
The airport was fulfilling a pledge made last year at meetings with residents and Folkestone and Hythe MP Michael Howard to demonstrate how the flights would affect local residents. Managing director Zaher Deir said: 'Groups objecting to the development are making wild claims about flight paths and jets screaming over rooftops. By arranging this visit everybody who lives on Romney March and the rest of Shepway can see the truth for themselves.'
The airport has submitted two planning applications to Shepway District Council. One is for a new terminal building to handle up to 500,000 passengers a year, the other is for two runway extensions, together 444m (1,456ft) in length. A public consultation on the plans runs until 5 March.
Lydd Airport Action Group, which opposes the applications, has hired outside consultants to help prepare its response. It claims the runway extension would allow the airport to increase passenger numbers to two million a year by 2015 and is calling for a public inquiry into the plans.
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