Durham-Tees Valley Airport closure threat

Eastern Airways has dealt another UK airport what could be a fatal blow with the announcement that it is dropping its Durham-Tees Valley Airport to Southampton service from next month.  The twice daily service routes via Leeds Bradford Airport, which will also lose its Southampton flights.  Eastern’s four flights a day from Tees Valley to Aberdeen, used mainly by staff in the oil and gas industry, will continue.  The carrier has been blamed for the probable closure of Plymouth City Airport where it has also cancelled operations.

The announcement came after airport bosses admitted they were struggling to secure new routes that would turn around the fortunes of the loss-making facility.  Peel Airports Chief Executive, Craig Richmond, told The Northern Echo last week that the airport will close unless more people use the facility.

Passenger numbers have dropped  from about 650,000 in 2008 to an expected 200,000 this year.  KLM serves the airport three times daily to Amsterdam and there are seasonal charter flights to holiday destinations including Spain, Italy and Egypt.

Plans to resurrect Northolt as a scheduled service airport would include Durham-Tees Valley, perhaps under its previous name Teesside.  This maybe the airport's last hope if it were to happen. www.durhamteesvalleyairport.com

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