MANSTON -3

[Phileas Fogg]

Not a bad scam from somebody that bought the whole package for 350k!

[pottwiddler]

Surprised they've not 'acquired' this bit of pprune to sell off.

No kitchen sinks as yet but I'd like to buy the 'old' tower...I'm sure I could turn in into a pub for the future residents of 'Manston Heights'

Pub quiz Mondays nights but no Karaoke .

[Mickey Kaye]

Yep. Sell everthing off ASAP probably for peanuts then the place will never reopen.

Then get to the reason it was bought for in the first place - building

[SpringHeeledJack]

For some reason, it makes me sad to see all the bit s of the airport in the photos ready to be disseminated and dispatched to the four corners of the compass.The upturned tables from the cafeteria and bar have witnessed a few good conversations over the years looking out over the apron I'll wager.



SHJ

[LTNman]

Sometimes abandoned runways, taxiways and aprons can linger for decades, somehow I don’t think this will be the case at Manson.

[Cyrano]

Someone may want to archive Manston's Route Shop site for posterity...

[Out Of Trim]

I Really hope that the Council refuse any change of use for the land and it has to remain as an Airfield.

I may be biased, as I worked in the Old Control Tower when it was still White!

RAF Manston was my first tour as a young airman in 1979. I served three happy years here and would love it to remain the Jewel of Thanet as an important Airport for the local population and also provide leisure facilities rather then some poxy housing estate!

[Charley B]

Out of Trim
Great post..quite a few people are working hard to get this airport back and running..reading the Kent papers and watching the local news...the Save Manston group has over 8000 members now.

[LTNman]

I wonder if they are the same 8000 that were complaining about aircraft noise

[Charley B]

Definately not LTNman

[susier]

We drive past Manston very regularly. I've never flown there and generally don't intend ever to fly again, but I still love it being there. Seems to be just the odd turbo prop hanging about now, and one small passenger AC which seems to have been sitting on the tarmac for several years in the same position.


I don't think it's ever produced any significant amounts of noise, has it?


I wish it would. Would LOVE it to be designated a proper commercial airport, but then, I like planes

[pottwiddler]

It's one thing to sign a petition but to keep a failed business going requires people to reach into their pockets and I bet the petioners won't want to do that.
Manston only had 200,000 passengers at it peak in 2005. You cannot possibly sustain an airport business on that size of scale without people working for nothing.

[Twitcher]

The future would not be in passengers. It was carrying passengers that dragged it down in the past. It should be mostly cargo, and always should have been. Plus training, engineering, GA etc

[Andy_S]

Originally Posted by Twitcher

The future would not be in passengers. It was carrying passengers that dragged it down in the past. It should be mostly cargo, and always should have been. Plus training, engineering, GA etc

I would broadly agree. Unfortunately, cargo tends to be a less profitable business than passengers, so Manston would need a heck of a lot more cargo just to break even.

[Charley B]

Riveroak are very experienced at Cargo...they are at DFW..they still want to buy Manston and turn it into a cargo hub...lots going on this week,hopefully all will be positive ..SOME pax routes may also be viable.AMS was and KLM were not happy when they were given their marching orders just as they were getting established..many Kent business pax went MSE--AMS..and then elsewhere..easy to park at airport.preferred to use airport rather than LHR as the hub and they said cheaper as well!

[Twitcher]

KLM figures were not bad, but Manston had to continually pay KLM to come here, and then there was the expense of all the extra staff needed.
You need several routes to make it worthwhile ..

[DrBeauWebber]

requires people to reach into their pockets and I bet the petioners won't want to do that.

But indeed we are already, in trying to get the airport to re-open.
You only have to realise it costs £100 to £250 extra per return journey via Heathrow, for car-rail-parking-hotel plus much of a day's work lost, to realise how much losing Manston is costing us.
Visitors/directors of my micro-SME scientific research firm had 8 flights booked via KLM & Manston when the closure "consultation" was announced, and I have already had to do two more.
So yes, we have 20,000 supporters and we are starting to back our petitions with newspaper adverts and other devices. We want Manston back as an operating airport.

[DrBeauWebber]

A study for by the Airports Commission found that a new estuary airport on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent, would cause "large scale direct habitat loss" to hundreds of thousands of migrating birds.

Airports Commission sink Boris Johnson's estuary airport plans

So we ask : Why not use Manston Airport in Kent ?

The fourth longest non-military airfield south of Manchester is Manston International Airport in Kent.
It is standing idle, because the owner has just shut it, we think to build housing. The airport closure was announced on the very day government support for new air-routes was announced.
It has HS1 trains, 1hour 17min from St. Pancras International in London via Ashford International, money already in place for further speed upgrades this Autumn, money just announced for a new adjacent HS1 station (the existing one at Ramsgate is all of 3 miles away). It has dual-carriage-way roads from the heart of London to the airport boundary fence via the M2 & A299 , from Ramsgate Port via the A299 and from Dover Port via A256 & A2.
We had KLM offering 30 minutes hops to Schiphol Hub, Amsterdam, then links world-wide - but they were told to leave. Manston Airport ran so simply and well that KLM only required a 30minute check in, making it a great London airport.
Save Manston Airport group has 20,000 passionate supporters trying their hardest to get Manston Airport opened again.
Please, PLEASE, why don't people use joined up thinking, we feel for the people near Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport, that are faced with their houses being destroyed. Here at Manston we want these planes that are fuelling the need for new runways at other London airports.

HELP US GET MANSTON AIRPORT OPEN AGAIN, PLEASE.

The Save Manston Airport group and more information can be found at :

Web: Save Manston Airport | Working to save Kent's International Airport from closure.
www.facebook.com/groups/savemanstonairport

If you want to find out more about Manston Airport >

Arise to Protect - Save Manston Airport : https://www.facebook.com/download/pr...56369787776842

Manton Airport Kent has major travel advantages - v2b.pdf :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/6164...5012062239526/
Also see :
Facebook

If you think it is a good idea to keep Manston Airport up and running, taking some of the load off the other London airports, then please sign these petitions :

Save Manston Airport group petition :
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio...anston-airport
Official 10 Downing Street Petition :
Vote to keep Manston Airport open - e-petitions
Others :
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio...anston-airport

[Charley B]

DrBW
Brilliant posts and most eloquently put
Far far better than i could ever have done!
CB

[Skipness One Echo]

So we ask : Why not use Manston Airport in Kent ?

The market doesn't want it and it's seen as miles from anywhere.
I mean when it was open, airlines weren't exactly battering on Infratil's door demanding access. The last time government policy tried to buck the market was Stansted, and that was basically gifted to Ryanair as no one else wanted it.
Think Mirabel in Montreal if you doubt it. Kent lacks the local businesses and critical mass of ease of access into London, it's not on the Tube or the DLR, whcih like it or not seem to be how people see a London Airport. Ask Gatwick!