Originally Posted by
asdf1234
Too much fiction Harry and not enough fact. Looking at 2011 the airport was ranked 8th largest in the UK on total freight handled, and 5th largest when considering only dedicated freighter cargo (i.e. excluding pax ops cargo).
25,500 tonnes of imported cargo in 2011. Runway too short??? I don't think so. And all of this 25,500 tonnes being delivered by "the odd freighter movement"??? I don't think so.
It's a rumour network here but when the facts are to hand, let's use them rather concocting fiction.
Ah ... IMPORTED cargo, a heavy freighter needs less runway to land than it does to take off, so this was inbound freight only, hardly a profit making business if every other sector was a ferry flight.
Runway not long enough for a heavy MD11? ... The runway isn't long enough for a heavy DC8, DC10, B747, B777 or pretty much anything of a similar size, for a heavy one of those need a minimum of 10,000ft and then some.
8th largest in freight handled in 2011, well I can think of an obvious first four or five, three LON's, MAN & EMA, then I'd suggest we are scraping the barrel for numbers 6 and below!
Guess what the number 1 airport in Wales was during 2011? ... LOL