Originally Posted by IO540
Personally I couldn't care less if Shoreham or whatever wants to destroy unattended baggage, or makes one wear yellow jackets. The financial reality for airports which GA pilots have traditionally regarded as their own is that they can't make money from the declining PPL training activity (and allowing more schools to set up just causes the schools to go bust sooner) and there aren't enough people doing burger runs either. So they are trying to get some regular business, which means commercial services.
Look at the arrivals and departures on the Shoreham Airport web site and you will see who is currently using the airport. If making the airport more 'commercially' attractive makes it less pleasurable for their current customers to visit or be based at the site, this will not help their cause. And it certainly won't improve the chance of more hangars being built. I have no problems with them TRYING to attract more commercial operators but IMHO I think their 'let's be like Gatwick' approach a bit misguided. I have the same thoughts about Lydd.