ROBIN Hood Airport has officially applied to Doncaster Council to lift restrictions on night-time freight flights in a bid to create more jobs.
Bosses at the Finningley airport have submitted plans to relax the limitations which they say will make greater use of the site and bring it in line with other airports that transport cargo.
It wants to overturn a ban on noisier aircraft like Boeing 747s - known as QC4s - operating at night because officials are concerned the current ruling is hampering efforts to attract a freight operator to set up base at Robin Hood.
Freight firm Fedex last year snubbed the airport because of the restrictions, and instead chose to locate to Manchester.
Since opening in April 2005 Robin Hood carried around 600 tonnes of cargo annually in its first two years.
Freight operations from the airport are currently below expectations. Bosses claim one reason is the restrictions on QC4 planes using Robin Hood between 11pm and 7am which are more stringent than most other regional airports.
Robin Tudor, spokesman for Peel, owners of the airport said current annual noise limit regulations would not be amended if the application was passed.
He said: "It is about making the airport more competitive so we can attract the key freight carriers who have one or two QC4s in their fleet.
"We are not talking about QC4 aircraft flying night after night. Even by 2106 our estimates are less than two QC4s aircraft using the airport a week."
The council has now started a consultation process on the application. Letters have been sent to town and parish councils and residents who have previously objected to the proposals.
A document submitted to the council by the airport said relaxing the rules would compliment Government policy to expand regional airports by making better use of Robin Hood's runway.
If the appeal is approved restrictions banning larger aircraft than QC4s would not be affected.
The document can be viewed at Doncaster Council's planning offices, libraries and some post offices near the airport.
The consultation period will end on January 30. The application will then go before the planning committee.
Residents should submit views in writing to Robin Hood Airport Consultation, Directorate of Development, Development and Planning, Second floor, Danum House, St. Sepulchre Gate, Doncaster DN1 1UB.
Source; Doncaster Free Press