Olympic meddling

Update on those 44 Olympic night flights - Charles Buchanan accepts the reality of supply and demand! Let's see how much demand there is for Manston...

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Regional airports prepare for Olympic flight rush

Hundreds of flights will be allowed to take off and land at Kent's airports - including Manston - every day during this summer's Olympics. Manston, Lydd and Rochester have been asked to take a share of the 500,000 international visitors expected during the Games.

In total, the airports will have to accept up to around 370 flights a day, as all three will be regulated between 21 July and 15 August to prevent overcrowding at Heathrow.

Manston could operate round the clock and could accommodate a maximum of 192 arrivals and departures every day, of which 44 could be at night - however, Charles Buchanan, chief executive of airport owners Infratil, stressed:

"That is a maximum figure - what transpires will clearly be a case of supply and demand"

Kent Messenger Thanet

44 flights a night at Manston?

On the bright side, these figures are for the upper limits allowed - it's unlikely that Manston will actually take this many, simply because it's in an inconvenient location.

However, if it gets anything like this number, it would be a useful "experiment" to show everyone what full-time scheduled night flights would be like. Perhaps it would be a good idea to hold the public consultation on night flights after the Olympics...

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Hundreds of flights will be allowed to take off and land at Kent's airports every day during this summer's Olympics. Manston, Lydd and Rochester have been asked to take a share of the 500,000 international visitors expected during the Games. In total, the airports will have to accept up to around 370 flights a day, as all three will be regulated between July 21 and August 15 to prevent overcrowding at Heathrow.

Manston will operate round the clock to accommodate up to 192 arrivals and departures every day. A maximum of 44 aircraft will use the airport between 10pm and 7am.

As many as 126 planes will take off and land every day at Lydd, 20 of which will leave or arrive at night.

Rochester's requirement is 56 aircraft a day, although no flights will operate between midnight and 6am.

Airport Coordination Limited, the company responsible for landing slots and schedules, says the majority of visitors will travel on scheduled flights. However, it expects 700 extra charter flights and 3,000 more business jets during July and August, as VIPs make their way to the Games. An estimated 240 state flights will bring political leaders from around the world to London.

kentonline 20th Jan 2012

Oympics to generate "hundreds more flights"

THE number of flights in and out of Lydd Airport could soar during the 2012 Olympics, it has emerged. Speaking at the public inquiry last week, consultant Nigel Deacon, of Airfield Wildlife Management Ltd, admitted the airport has been asked to help bring in "business guests" for the games next year. He said:

"The airport has been accepted to bring in several hundred business guests during the games. There will be significant increase in the number of flights in and out of Lydd, mostly business jets, during that short time. Other airports like Manston will have only a few extra arrivals of this kind."

Mr Deacon explained the details of the deal last Thursday, during cross-examination, as a witness for Lydd Airport.

thisiskent 4th Mar 2011

Biggin Hill. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky.

Biggin Hill Airport will now apply for long-term changes to its lease in the wake of its "Olympic gateway" bid. Critics accused airport bosses of trying to set a precedent for changes to the rules, including longer opening hours and introducing fare-paying passengers, after it submitted an application to relax regulations during the games.

Those living in places such as Sundridge, Westerham, Brasted, Cudham and Downe will be affected by any changes. Bromley Residents Against Airport Development submitted a Freedom of Information request to Bromley Council after hearing rumours a second application was on the cards.

This was confirmed in correspondence between the airport and the council. In a statement on behalf of the group, member Harry Ivey said:

"Biggin Hill Airport Ltd [BHAL] applied to Bromley Council for temporary permission to operate extended flying hours during the Olympics, as well as permitting individual fare-paying passengers during this period. BHAL also indicated that 'wider variations' proposals would be submitted. Granting temporary permission for the Olympics proposals by December 23 would have created a precedent for the 'wider variations' proposals to follow. The current public consultation is only on the temporary proposals."

kentonline 28th Jan 2011

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No chance of Manston pulling this kind of stunt, is there?

Manston could help ease strain of games

Clipping: thisiskent

Bosses at Manston airport have revealed they are in talks with Olympic officials such as organising committee chairman Seb Coe to give the airport a role in the 2012 London games. Chief executive Matt Clarke believes the airport’s location and facilities will mean it can be used to fly in athletes, fans and equipment to the London gamese the inevitable strain placed on Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and London City airports in 2012. He said:

"The Olympic Games is the biggest sporting spectacle in the world and competing athletes, their coaches, equipment and spectators in large numbers will be flown in from around the world during a relatively short period of time. Given that the London airports are frequently congested under normal circumstances – let alone when the biggest sporting event in the world comes to town – it is quite clear that Kent International Airport will have a role to play."

The airport chief predicts their will be a build-up in charter flights over the isle before the games but also expects private jets to be shooting across the isle. He continued:

"We expect to see is an influx of private jets, inbound chartered passenger flights and freight services immediately before and during the Olympics. We do not expect to see an increase in jobs relating specifically to the Olympics business as we will already have the resources required to accommodate the brief step-up in activity. The biggest constraint for an airport close to an event of this scale is more likely to be aircraft parking space as there is sure to be a vast number of aircraft from all over the world to descending on the south east in a short space of time. We have had discussions with a number of people involved in the planning of the event and they are aware that we have significant capacity to accommodate air traffic during what will be an extremely busy period."

London Mayor Boris Johnson is also setting his sites on Manston. Writing his column in the Daily Telegraph he said:

"South-eastern councils and the London authorities have decided to look again at all the options around London that could save us from the mistake of expanding Heathrow. They include making better use of existing assets, not least Manston, which has the longest runway in the country."