No for Carlisle Airport

Following our report last week (airline reveals accounts http://www.btnews.co.uk/article/9810) there appears to be very little chance of scheduled air services being introduced at Carlisle Airport this year.  Stobart Group has shot down a suggestion from Transport Minister Robert Goodwill that scheduled passenger flights from Carlisle Airport will begin in the spring.

Work has yet to begin to upgrade the runway and install an instrument landing system (ILS), essential for operations. 

The company expects to spend between £3m and £4m on the project – more if it opts to move the passenger terminal into a corner of the new freight distribution centre, completed last autumn.

A spokesman for Stobart Group said: “Clearly, the airport isn’t going to be ready in time for the spring.

“Work on the runway and upgrading other airport facilities have yet to be completed, and we’ve never said it would be done by the spring.  We can’t give a time frame.”

Andrew Tinkler, chief executive, has said previously that summer 2016 is the earliest likely start date for flights.  The plan is to offer twice-daily flights to Southend Airport with its direct rail link to central London and daily services to Belfast and Dublin.  www.carlisleairport.co.uk

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

David Starkie, London

Carliisle - Northolt would be better still. AS for Belfast, BEA flew this route in 1946/7.