Originally Posted by
LTNman
Running an airfield that has no passengers will always be substantially cheaper to run than an airfield used by just a few dozen passengers a day. So what would be the income generated by those passengers?
Factor in fire cover and the extra staff needed to operate a passenger operation and the bills start to rise.
With just a few passengers it will be tough to turn a profit when those same passengers are offered the flexibility of an hourly train service to the heart of London just a few miles away.
Factor check-in times and onward travel to London and the plane is not quite as appealing but if Stobart wants to give it a try then good luck to them. Still don't agree to a government handout to run a route to London when there is already a train service.
The train being quicker from central Carlisle to central London has been the subjecty of many previous discussions here on PPRuNe, alas we are not supposed to discuss trains, nor indeed 69 by-pass's, here and those discussions didn't meet with the approval of the enthusiasts of a particular airport in Essex ... But enough said about Clacton
As LTN suggests, good luck to them but I'm another that can't see it working out.