Manston Airport in Kent has been closed since 2014, but now the site’s owners are looking to reopen the runway to air traffic – although it may just be for cargo in the first couple of years
An airport which previously provided flights to Madeira, Italy and Portugal, amongst other locations, could reopen its runway to flights once more after lying abandoned since 2014.
Manston Airport, formerly known as Kent International Airport and briefly as London Manston Airport, hosted numerous airlines throughout its history and provided connections across the UK, Ireland and Europe. It even attempted to launch a transatlantic service to Norfolk in Virginia at one point, though this was cancelled due to insufficient bookings.
The airport is an hour and 45 minutes from Central London by car, and close to Ramsgate station which already has regular Southeastern services to London Bridge, connecting it to the capital.
Carriers that once operated from the airport include the now-defunct budget carrier Flybe, which ran services to Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester, alongside seasonal routes to Madeira. KLM also previously operated flights from Manston to Amsterdam.
Yet, after Flybe withdrew its operations from the airport in 2012, Manston was placed on the market. On 9 April 2014, the final scheduled service departed.
Manston Airport formally ceased operations on 15 May 2014, and while there have been numerous proposals to revive the site, it has predominantly served as a lorry park to help alleviate congestion at ports following Brexit, reports the Mirror.
The airport was purchased by RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP) some years ago, and the company has since made several efforts to restore operations. In a 2022 interview with Kent Online, Tony Freudmann, director of RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP), sparked rumours that the airport might welcome passengers again.
He revealed that discussions had been taking place with carriers, including easyJet and Ryanair, regarding the possibility of passenger services. While plans so far have failed to come to fruition. It now appears that, should the airport reopen, it will operate as a dedicated cargo facility before starting any commercial flights.
This week, it emerged that proposed flight corridors and information about plans for the future of the Kent airport are due to be unveiled as part of a landmark public consultation.
A statement from the firm said: “RiverOak Strategic Partners Limited (RSP) is pleased to announce Manston Airport is launching its Stage 3 airspace consultation, as part of the next step in the process to reopen the airport as an air freight hub. Stage 3 is the public consultation phase of the airspace change proposal process, where proposed changes to flight paths and airspace structure are presented to residents, communities, and wider stakeholders.”
It continued: “A Development Consent Order (DCO) to approve reopening the airport was granted in 2020, with an updated version approved in 2022. The consultation will run from Monday 16 March until Monday 22 June 2026 and will include a series of in-person and online events during April, providing the local community with details of the proposed flight paths and airport usage.”
The Civil Aviation Authority’s Citizen Space consultation portal is due to publish updated information on 16 March, which is expected to include detailed maps, plans, and information on flight paths. This will provide local residents, businesses, and other interested parties an opportunity to share their views on the proposals before they progress to the next phase.
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For residents in Ramsgate and Herne Bay, which sit at opposite ends of the airport’s runway, the consultation provides a first genuine glimpse at precisely where aircraft will be visible and audible should the 800-acre site be brought back into operation.
Should the proposals receive approval, it is unlikely that Manston will be operational in the near future. Whilst the site secured its Development Consent Order in 2024 following a four-year legal dispute, the target date for the first departure is now 2029.
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