Plymouth Airport dies

Unless some legal impediment intervenes the sale of much of Plymouth City Airport’s working equipment will be auctioned off on 12 July.

Founded as Roborough in 1931, Plymouth was very successful in the 1980s with at one time up to five daily services to Heathrow.  London City Airport was developed with Plymouth as the model.

Loss of the Heathrow slots in the early nineties and the sale of the then incumbent airline, the airport leaseholder from the local council, to Sutton Harbour, a local property company, clearly meant its days were numbered. 

Sadly the council failed to recognise the airport’s value to the community.  Plymouth is over 200 miles from London, has a poor rail service and a non-motorway link. 

Commercial flights ceased in July 2011 and the airport officially closed 23 December.

A local group called Viable is working on plans to take over the airport, which now has only one runway, Sutton Harbour building houses on part of the site.

The auction includes a whole variety of specialist airport equipment much of it acquired at knockdown prices over the years.  It will be extremely expensive, should another operator take over the facility, to purchase much of this kit used for operational purposes. www.sutton-harbour.co.uk www.viable.org.uk

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