[Caribbean Beauty]

The first of many small regional airports to go belly up and shut down. During boom times charter flights took off anywhere flat, seemingly, as MEWers and Credit Card spenders went berserk to travel anywhere, and for the first time the people of the Midlands and the North felt wealthy and flew too, just like their southern brethren. Charter airlines launched services from the airports close to the chav feeder towns. Now that the whole property/debt house of cards has collapsed, so has the regional charter flight industry - and along with it the airports:

Coventry Airport closed by owners

A spokesperson said the board of directors decided to close the airport
Coventry Airport has been closed due to financial difficulties.

West Midlands International Airport, which owns it, had been due to appear in the High Court on Wednesday to respond to a winding-up petition.

The board and shareholders of the owners decided to shut it, an airport spokeswoman said.

Passenger airline Thomsonfly stopped flights out of the airport in November 2008 and a year earlier the airport saw plans for a new terminal rejected.

'Real blow'

A public inquiry found the planned terminal would have created too much noise in the area.

The airport has operated as a cargo terminal and a base for executive jets and aviation-related businesses since Thomsonfly ceased its operations there.


We remain committed to the long-term future of the site as an airport

Coventry City Council leader Ken Taylor
City council leader Ken Taylor said it was a "real blow" to Coventry and he believed the city should have its own airport.

He said: "We remain committed to the long-term future of the site as an airport and we will be doing all that we can to support the attempts to secure new ownership and on-going commercial management."

Rob Davies, from HD Air, said he moved the company's business to Birmingham from Coventry airport at the beginning of November.

He said: "We moved because we got a better deal and we were more comfortable with the management at Birmingham."

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the airport's owner had issued a Notice to Airmen, informing pilots and aircraft that the airport was no longer operational.

'Immediate effect'

It said air traffic control at the airport had also ceased operating and overflying flights would be handled by other airports in the area, including Birmingham.

Coventry North West MP Geoffrey Robinson said he was surprised by the news and had spoken to the owners and unions.

He said he would be discussing the development with the Department for Transport.

A spokeswoman for Coventry Airport issued a short statement.

She said: "The board and shareholders of West Midlands International Airport Limited have made the decision to close Coventry Airport with immediate effect."

The airport was opened in 1936 and used as an RAF base during World War II when it was damaged by enemy bombing.

[Hectors House]

No point staying open if no one wants to use the place. With Birmingham down the road and East Mids just that bit further, didn't really make sense.

Also if you think of what has happened at Manchester ( a lot of big transatlantic flights being pulled), not a good time to be an airport operator.

I give Ryan Air till 2013 to go under

[cashinmattress]

How about Humberside? That is most certainly not seeing profits.

[The Ayatollah Buggeri]

I took a KLM feeder flight from Humberside to Amsterdam (for some reason it was a lot cheaper than going from Teesside - my regional airport of choice - on the day I needed to fly) in September. There can't have been more than 20 people on board a 50-60 seat plane.

[Kyoto]

Hectors House, on 08 December 2009 - 10:46 PM, said:

I give Ryan Air till 2013 to go under

Dream on.

[Mega]

Can't help but think all those "TRACK DAYS" will be HIT..................
Mike

[SMAC67]

Kyoto, on 08 December 2009 - 10:56 PM, said:

Dream on.

Where are they going to land without any airports? The third tier airports will be the first to close and consolidate, then the second tier. It will be a choice between Manchester and Birmingham, Gatwick and Stansted, and then the top tier will start shrinking. Capital cities will probably hold onto their air services the longest. I am not looking forward to 2010!

[Patfig]

The Ayatollah Buggeri, on 08 December 2009 - 10:55 PM, said:

I took a KLM feeder flight from Humberside to Amsterdam (for some reason it was a lot cheaper than going from Teesside - my regional airport of choice - on the day I needed to fly) in September. There can't have been more than 20 people on board a 50-60 seat plane.

Last time I was back in Blighty I had a flight boked Teesside to London on my back down under. A few weeks prior to travelling I got an email saying the flight was cancelled as was the route with BMI......... Teesside now only has a few flights of charter aircraft as far as I can see........

[Tonkers]

They just needed a third runway, that would have saved them.

[The Ayatollah Buggeri]

Patfig, on 09 December 2009 - 01:59 AM, said:

Last time I was back in Blighty I had a flight boked Teesside to London on my back down under. A few weeks prior to travelling I got an email saying the flight was cancelled as was the route with BMI......... Teesside now only has a few flights of charter aircraft as far as I can see........

It still has a KLM service to Amsterdam, though I think it's gone down from four to two a day (one early morning, one late evening). The BMI Heathrow flights were totally stopped a couple of years ago: probably because most people who used them did so as feeders to long haul, and let's face it, if you've got a choice between AMS and LHR as your connection hub, which are you going to choose?

[Potwalloper]

SMAC67, on 08 December 2009 - 11:40 PM, said:

Where are they going to land without any airports? The third tier airports will be the first to close and consolidate, then the second tier. It will be a choice between Manchester and Birmingham, Gatwick and Stansted, and then the top tier will start shrinking. Capital cities will probably hold onto their air services the longest. I am not looking forward to 2010!

Have you been to Gatwick lately? No tumbleweed there!

[Caribbean Beauty]

chute, on 09 December 2009 - 07:16 AM, said:

Have you been to Gatwick lately? No tumbleweed there!

How about 8.4% tumbleweed increase at Gaywick and 12% at Chavsted airports (ie fewer pax year on year):

http://www.thisislon...ugh-for-hays.do

Remember that dips in aviation travel pax numbers were virtually unprecedented before this crisis and these figures become more startling. The increase in APD is going to see further tumbleweed increases too. Plus, the big airports make much of their profits from shopping, landside and airside - but people hustle through the security now and bypass the shops, or window shop while waiting for the plane

[xux42]

Kyoto, on 08 December 2009 - 10:56 PM, said:

Dream on.

Hopefully a few closed airports will trash their low cost model & force their fares up or make them bankrupt.
Air travel has its place, but elimination of low cost will stabilise the air market & shift more business travellers onto long high speed rail or onto airlines with business class.