Member Article

Crunch time for Blackpool International Airport

The future of Blackpool International Airport may be decided this week, with closure looking increasingly likely.

Following significant losses, the airport’s current owners, Balfour Beatty, have set a deadline of Tuesday 7 October for reaching an agreement with all concerned to ensure its viability. Balfour Beatty have been seeking a buyer for the airport since August this year.

Currently, Blackpool serves several main routes. Jet2 flies to locations in Spain, Portugal and Turkey, Aer Lingus Regional has services to Dublin, and Citywing offers flights to Belfast and the Isle of Man.

If no agreement can be reached – or a buyer found - then it is likely the airport’s operations will cease from October 15th.

Blackpool Council is now considering ways to extend its current Enterprize Zones in the area to help support the airport.

Councillor John Jones, the council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, issued a statement, in which he said: “What we want is the best possible economic outcome for the area in terms of jobs for local people.

“We have been very clear in saying we would like it to remain an airport and would be doing everything we could to try to ensure that is the case.

“We believe the airport has underperformed in terms of its contribution on the Blackpool economy.

“There is much untapped potential in the site and we will work with any new owner to bring this potential to bear.

“We have already been speaking to the LEP, LCC and Fylde Councils about the possibility of extending the current Enterprise Zones in Lancashire to include the airport and we together we will work with the new owners to make the case to the Government.

“Fylde Council and ourselves have planning control over the site and we have been very clear with Balfour Beatty and all other interested parties about the uses we would support.

“As Balfour Beatty have said, there is interest in the airport, some of which we’re very much aware of and which we’ve done what we can to encourage.

“These negotiations are, of course, commercially sensitive and, quite rightly, not being carried out in the public domain.

“While Balfour Beatty are the owners and any decision regarding disposal is theirs alone, we will use the powers and influence we do have to make the site the kind of key driver of economic growth that we need and can be proud of.”

In a statement, Balfour Beatty said: “The airport operations have been making a loss for a number of years and we are currently exploring a number of options in an attempt to secure the future of the airport.”

Councillor Jones added: “We do understand that it is difficult for any company to sustain a loss-making venture and are aware too of the impact the economic crash over the last few years had and the significant effect it has had on the aviation industry.

“We are keen for the site to remain an airfield which brings continuity for some of the existing businesses, retains significant commercial potential and retains Blackpool’s longstanding connection with the aviation industry at Squires Gate which dates back to the war.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .