Gloucestershire (egbj)
No MD, no ILS, no future?
From the Echo today...
Gloucestershire Airport is facing an uncertain future after the sudden exit of its managing director.Ian Statham walked out after it emerged the airport at Staverton recorded a profit of just £8,000 for 2005-06.
Airport bosses promised £87,000 to its shareholders, Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council.
They will now be forced to raid reserves to pay annual dividends of £25,000 to each of the authorities.
The airport's board of directors said Mr Statham had left as part of a management restructure.
His departure comes as a result of massive opposition to plans to upgrade the runway.
Gerry Gearing, the airport's vice-chairman, said Mr Statham left because he was low on confidence following criticism of the runway plans.
The airport plans to extend the safety zone around the runway clearance and to comply with health and safety standards.
But Tewkesbury Borough Council has refused planning permission and residents fear an increase in air traffic, noise and pollution.
Gloucester City Council and the leading Tory group at Cheltenham Borough Council oppose the proposals.
Coun Gearing said: "Ian Statham has been with us for two years and has workedvery hard on plans to bring more of the runway into use.
"He was responsible for our five-year plan and his efforts are very well regarded.
"He's very sorry there's been so much difficulty. He didn't anticipate this reaction to what he thought would be good for the airport. He feels he can't carry on. His efforts over the last two years have been called into question.
"He feels he hasn't got the confidence of the shareholders and that concerns him greatly."
Chairman of the airport's board of directors David Cook said Mr Statham left a week ago.
He said: "We are obviously sorry to lose Ian. He has been a great asset to the airport in terms of his technical knowledge and expertise.
"He has steered the airport through a particularly difficult period of late and we wish him well for the future."
Mr Cook said the main criticism of the runway plans came from Cheltenham Borough Council's Tory group.
The sudden exit and poor financial performance puts the future of the airport under the spotlight.
Conservative Cheltenham borough councillors believe the airport's proposals are not financially viable.
Although the authority recently gave its backing to the airport during a full meeting of the council, the vote pushed through by Lib Dems on the hung council was not binding.
Tory and Labour councillors on the city council have refused to back Lib Dem calls to safeguard the future of the airport. Mr Cook said Tewkesbury Borough Council had not yet made its thoughts on the airport official.