Plymouth City Airport

Controversially closed by a local ‘listed’ property developer in 2011 who also owned Air South West, Plymouth Airport refuses to die.  FlyPlymouth has been created with plans to reopen the former Roborough site within two years and establish a base airline by 2018.  

A three-year campaign in the city run by a group of business leaders called Viable resulted in the airport being protected from redevelopment in local planning policy until 2031 with strong cross party support locally and increasingly at a national level. 

In its heyday during the 1980s Plymouth was the home of Brymon Airways, launch airline for London City Airport.  Brymon served Heathrow up to five times daily, as well  as Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle plus Cork, Dublin and the Channel Islands.   London Northolt is a target this time around.  

Reopening the airport will add between £13m and £26m to the local economy and create 240 jobs according to a study by York Aviation. 

"It's time to move on from 'saving the airport' to focussing on reopening the airport" said FlyPlymouth's Chief Executive, Raoul Witherall. "Doing this as a locally-owned social enterprise is the right formula to protect the airport in the long-term as profits are recycled in the business rather than being extracted by private interests." www.flyplymouth.com

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Toni Girdler, Heathrow

Brilliant news. Now to save and reopen Manston Airport in Kent.