Originally Posted by
BACsuperVC10
I am not aware of a second runway proposal myself. I think they maybe looking at a new starter strip at the Hale end of the runway. I think land has been earmarked for that.
There is a proposal to extend the runway to around the 10,000 feet mark a vain believe of gaining long haul (never mind 747s have previously operated TALC into Canada - A market now gone -some say dead literally).
Peel have long lived in sort of dreamland in what can be achieved at Speke to be honest.
The North West and indeed Northern Powerhouse needs a single primary airport with excellent regional rail and road connections and perhaps a second air cargo hub .
As for a driver for wider economic growth in the last sixty years Speke missed almost all growth targets and opportunities; baring one and that was a lucky break/gift given to them on a plate by MAG market mismanagement, the early flexible fares carriers Orange and Harp expansion in the early 2000s and EU liberalisation..
Regrettably even that peaked with a change of course 35miles down the road.
Putting aside the last 2 years (COVID and Brexit) terminal passenger numbers reached a high of 5,468,510 in 2007 ! and declined back below 4,000,000 in 2014 recovering to 5,043,975 in 2019.
During the same period most other compareble airports - I'll sight Bristol similar demographics, 2007 - 5,926,774, 2014 - 6,339,805 and 2019- 8,964,242 observed consistent growth.
We can also consider freight and mail have declined with the loss of the night mail hub and potentially missed opportunities with the consolidators.
Clearly Speke has under-performed and continues to do so.
If we consider the range of routes that support the local economy (rather than exporting holiday money) well Easy - serve Belfast, Amsterdam , Barcelona and Geneva with Madrid, whilst the Harp adds Dublin , Bergamo (Milan), Charleroi (Brussels), Rome and Stockholm with a few others
Wizz is almost all migrant labour inbound (with post Brexit notable declines)
And the airport doesn't even support an Aer Lingus flight into the hub these days -Even missed on the the new Aer Lingus Regional first wave.
KLC left with better things to do with the Schiphol slots
Nice to see Lufthansa try something sure.
The terminal is adequate for current and some years of future recovery/growth.
As a tool for inward investment into the city region, Speke is a shadow line to the presence of another facility down the road.
The North West needs to look at inward investment across the entire region and not just one of the two city regions competing.
Really the competition isn't Manchester or Liverpool , Preston or Blackburn no its the North West and indeed the North of England against the likes of the Ruhr , Milan and Barcelona where things are MADE yes the skill base remains that of manufacturing in the main.