DJ - From the Northern Echo - main resident businesses:
Cobham - The aerospace company employs about 90 workers at the airport, and maintains air traffic and navigation systems for Heathrow Airport and Falkland Islands' military airbases. It operates Falcon 20s that provide air support to Ministry of Defence training and emulate a range of threats to warships and aircraft. A spokesman told The Northern Echo: “We have no plans to leave the airport because we see it as the base of our Northern operations for the foreseeable future.”
Serco - The firm operates its International Fire Training Centre at the airport, which has been based at the site since 1981. In the last RGF bid, Serco partnered airport bosses on plans for the Southside development, that included a new £7.4m complex featuring training rigs, a virtual reality test centre, and accommodation for trainees. In August, it confirmed it was staying at the airport, despite the RGF snub, and said it wanted to invest in its existing centre.
Sycamore Aviation - Operating from a hangar used by Lancaster Bomber crews in the Second World War, its team of engineers dismantle aircraft and recover spares off for clients around the world. Founded by former Thomas Cook and Jet2 captain, Kevin O'Hare, it has already worked on Boeing 737s and Airbuses. It wanted to move into a purpose-built hangar on land south of the runway to handle jumbo jets. However, airport bosses say those plans could still come to fruition if their masterplan is successful
Presumably the idea of getting rid of charter means that they are losing money on these flights and see no prospect of turning this round (so no prospect of increases in the pipeline). If they are going to still service the AMS and ABZ flights, sounds like they are going to keep the terminal open for these flights, but then close it at all other times (anybody else remember the split terminal concept) - will this really save that much?
Sounds like Peel are saying to the LA's 'we'll keep the AMS service if you let us do what we want'. Time to call their bluff?