CAMBRIDGE
EZY and FR interested:
[quote]
Europe's largest low-cost airlines easyJet and Ryanair have said that they would look favourably on using a Cambridge Airport if the Marshall Group decided against selling the site for housing, the Business Weekly newspaper reports.
easyJet revealed that it was enjoying regular dialogue with Marshall and added that it was continuously vetting potential new hubs and felt that 'any leading carrier would become interested if a Cambridge regional airport became a reality.'
Ryanair said it was also 'willing to look at any proposals' involving Cambridge - especially in light of its ongoing battle to see more competition injected into the ownership of South East airports dominated by BAA's three London airports.
The airlines' expressions of interest add a new twist to the saga of whether Marshall should stay put or move to RAF Mildenhall and leave the airport site in Cambridge to be developed for new homes. Sources close to the company believe RAF Mildenhall is the only viable alternative site but estimates of the cost of moving the entire operation are already shifting northwards from £300m to nearer £500m.
While the revival of plans for a Cambridge Airport would spark a planning battle and public inquiry, senior UK government officials are understood to believe that such an airport would act as a catalyst for substantial growth locally, the newspaper reports.
Cambridge Airport has a long runway, a highly capable wide-area radar, state-of-the-art control tower and ancillary facilities capable of handling the big jets. A fairly modest terminal upgrade has already been mapped out. The airport has seen a strong upsurge in executive jet aircraft traffic in recent months.
For easyJet and Ryanair, the possibility of establishing a bolthole from Stansted located in the technology heartland of Europe holds considerable appeal. They wouldn't have to abandon their hubs at Stansted but would be able to divert some routes cost-effectively - especially if plans for a second runway at Stansted brings higher landing fees.
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Very interesting about the Stansted transfers!