My point is that it is cheaper to remove it than it would be to reinstate it. Likewise the nav aids like ILS, which I’m led to believe can cost upwards of £3million per approach just to become operational. Then you will need the ATC equipment which I understand has been removed, necessary security equipment which must be into the £millions to purchase and install, Airfield fire fighting equipment again must be £millions. At a minimum you are probably talking over £20million to re-equip everything, not to mention recruiting and training staff. So yes, the approach lights probably aren’t a significant cost in the grand scheme of things, but it all adds up.
Well I expect the council have appointed some yes-men as their subject matter experts, so it’s likely they are more focussed currently on the legalities of retaining and ultimately acquiring the land rather than whether it actually is a viable venture. There is a large element of being pushed into a corner by people like Nick Fletcher MP who has done the equivalent of throwing a grenade into the crowd and stood back and watched, pushing people back into the firefight once or twice a week.
Might take some time for Ros Jones true motives to become clear, face value would suggest the Council are deadly serious about getting the airport reopened, nothing regarding any feasibility/viability studies have been released to the public short of a statement saying ‘we believe the airport can be viable’, I’m sure I’m not the only one that finds such a statement problematic.
Agreed. But it's fair to say that a lot of information from such a feasibility study would have to be confidential while trying to negotiate a deal.