its very well placed facility wise, and NQY (sorry to mention it) is proof that an airport can be turned around.
I admit its nowhere near what it could or should be or what its been in the not too distant past, but compared to a few years ago when air southwest closed up shop and left us with BE 3 daily to LGW I think its turning around!
The difference here is that NQY is partly subsidised by the council, so each and every resident contribute no matter what! on top of that until March 16 every departing passenger chucks an extra fiver into the pot to fly out of NQY.
Its annoying, but its worked!
ADF scrapped, 1 hour free parking and no drop off fee now ( was charged with no grace at all)
The other main difference is that NQY is a local enterprise zone and offers benefits for businesses to move into the airport property, based on this they have just built a huge business park which was finished days ago.
Flights will never keep the airfield going, its the other activities that will, aircraft storage, mx, dismantling etc, helimed, SAR etc etc etc
The mx company based at NQY are storing 1 and breaking up 3 EK airbus aircraft, plus have just had a 772 in for MX, all this sort of activity adds to the bottom line and employment at the airport and as such to the local area.
I don't agree with councils owning airports,however, if it was a commercial company it would of been closed down the day the RAF transferred the airfield because its a local airport with a huge runway which is never going to make money in a month of sundays!
however as its council owned the bigger picture is that its generating local spending and local employment with well paid and skilled jobs, its worth sucking up a loss to sustain it!
that's BOHs issue, its owned by a larger group that want the airfield alone to make a profit which I cant see in all honesty!
cs