Blackpool Thread
Pilot of the Airwaves
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Not content with wrecking Blackpool Airport, Balfour Beattie are now responsible for a further delay in the rail electrification of Blackpool to Preston and other North West electrification projects by pulling out of their wiring contract.
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When a building and construction company are allowed to own an airport you just know all that land will be too tempting
?Enterprise zone is now our final hope? - Blackpool Gazette
?Enterprise zone is now our final hope? - Blackpool Gazette
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“Whether caused by total incompetence or working to a hidden agenda both Balfour Beatty and this council should be thoroughly ashamed of robbing this town of an important part of its future.
However, if a hidden agenda was the ultimate closure of the airport as the easiest option (due to a lack of necessary know-how and skills to turn round the financial performance), then the management may be seen as a success.
But the deal with Jet2 which meant that they we losing money on every flight was agreed before "the management" turned up.
Lets face it, BLK is always going to struggle to sustain regular airline services except niche routes like IOM. Wrong place, too small/poor a catchment area.
Lets face it, BLK is always going to struggle to sustain regular airline services except niche routes like IOM. Wrong place, too small/poor a catchment area.
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Originally Posted by SWBKCB
Lets face it, BLK is always going to struggle to sustain regular airline services except niche routes like IOM. ---- Wrong place, too small/poor a catchment area.
Not correct IMO. The load factors suggested that most of the sunshine routes offered by Jet2 and FR where niche routes.
Look at SEN competing with LHR/LTN/STN and LWG. They are thriving.
The catchment was not poor while never in the same league as MAN - but BLK had an ace card - Ease of use and the load factors provided by TSR2 and others before him such as MUFC_fan proved that.
What was wrong at BLK was not the catchment, it was the management.
Agree the catchment area was adequate to possibly sustain the commercial market for an airport of this size , however due to the financial burdens inherited and allowed to continue , total mismanagement , something had to give - it couldn't continue.
The entire infrastructure for moderate scale /low cost jet flights has now gone , no workable Terminal , Arrivals "tent" gone , no ramp handling equipment , no staff , no radar and reduced Fire Cat. The Terminal will without doubt operate as something totally non aviation related in the future
. The days of mass commercial travel have gone...
Thankful that some form of aviation continues in the form of offshore helicopter traffic , business aircraft and general aviation , at least we still have something to retain the connection with Blackpool and aviation.
It plugs the gap between Blackpool and Lytham St Anne's becoming a huge low cost housing estate that isn't actually needed or wanted .
The entire infrastructure for moderate scale /low cost jet flights has now gone , no workable Terminal , Arrivals "tent" gone , no ramp handling equipment , no staff , no radar and reduced Fire Cat. The Terminal will without doubt operate as something totally non aviation related in the future
. The days of mass commercial travel have gone...Thankful that some form of aviation continues in the form of offshore helicopter traffic , business aircraft and general aviation , at least we still have something to retain the connection with Blackpool and aviation.
It plugs the gap between Blackpool and Lytham St Anne's becoming a huge low cost housing estate that isn't actually needed or wanted .
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When you get a construction company buying an airport with its land bank it was always going to be too tempting not to build on that land because that is what they do best. All that land for just £14 million, I think they got a bargain.
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The times I supported BB over the airport. IMO they never had an interest in running an international airport. I also wonder if they really did with full heart, try and sell the airport.
As LTNman says - £14 Million was a bargain. I am glad I am not a blackpoll ratepayer as the council did not do much to help.
As LTNman says - £14 Million was a bargain. I am glad I am not a blackpoll ratepayer as the council did not do much to help.
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We're well on the way to that Housing Estate now, Ernest...!!!
The NATS AIS Notams do not make good reading either.
Just about everything on the airfield is now u/s.
They practically need a miracle to get out of this one .
I think they'll get one..
S
The NATS AIS Notams do not make good reading either.
Just about everything on the airfield is now u/s.
They practically need a miracle to get out of this one .
I think they'll get one..
S
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We're well on the way to that Housing Estate now, Ernest...!!!
With all the building they may have a runway or even two, where no jets would be allowed to fly.
It's over Sandgrown IMO - the miracle was how BB got the airfield for £14Million and the council let them do as they like.
What happened to the so called rainy day fund?
Pilot of the Airwaves
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What happened to the so called rainy day fund?
Time for the police to investigate where those funds went and how they were spent. Was it on airport improvements,as they should have been, or were they used to offset claimed operating losses? The acquisition of the site by BB for £14million from the Council also needs rescrutiny.
Last edited by IB4138; 31st Jan 2016 at 11:43.
Several people have likened BB to The Mafia...
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Reminds me of the closure of Sheffield City some years ago. The land was simply seen as more valuable if it was built on than allowing an airport with limited flights to operate.
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Originally Posted by IB4138
Ah! The Airport Development Tax raises it's head again.
Time for the
police to investigate where those funds went and how they were spent. Was it on
airport improvements,as they should have been, or were they used to offset
claimed operating losses? The acquisition of the site by BB for £14million from
the Council also needs rescrutiny.
Good point about the ADF IB4138 - Where did it go? Hundreds of thousands of our cash not spent on any development and did not even keep the airport open.
Just a few months ago things appeared to be looking up for the airport as
passenger numbers showed a 12 per cent rise year-on-year.
Airport Director Paul Rankin told The Gazette in May: “We are delighted to
see the rise in passenger numbers and particularly pleased to see all the routes
to our established sunshine destinations doing so well.
“The load factor on the aircraft is around 95 per cent which shows they are
well supported by passengers.”...................
Also I remember posting on the 17th October 2017.
If anything Blackpool council should have took the airport, until a new buying could be found. They after all spent The Blackpool Airport contingency fund and that would have helped.
In the absence of that - It should have been made clear by the local authorities involved - There would be no chance of planning permission to build on the site - That would have made the plot, fit only for aviation.
If the terminal in built on, no point in preserving the runway - My guess Blackpool has come to an end. I thought my town had a rubbish council, Blackpool Council take the Gold Award for ineptness.
In the absence of that - It should have been made clear by the local authorities involved - There would be no chance of planning permission to build on the site - That would have made the plot, fit only for aviation.
If the terminal in built on, no point in preserving the runway - My guess Blackpool has come to an end. I thought my town had a rubbish council, Blackpool Council take the Gold Award for ineptness.
Questions are if Paul Rankin was so delighted by the airports performance just months before it closed, what went wrong in such a short time?
Also what happened to the contingency fund? That could have bought more time if a new owner was needed?
What was so special about "October 7" - It takes a while to find a buyer for an airport. Not a lot of point in revisiting the past. But question never got answered.
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The Gazette today showed demolition of the old terminal commencing.
BB have allegedly pledged to construct another terminal closer to 28/10. Rumours are that two ATCOs are joining the ATC in the next few weeks.
Hang on, there may be life in the old dog yet...
Could a Phoenix REALLY be set to rise from these decrepit old Ashes? S
BB have allegedly pledged to construct another terminal closer to 28/10. Rumours are that two ATCOs are joining the ATC in the next few weeks.
Hang on, there may be life in the old dog yet...
Could a Phoenix REALLY be set to rise from these decrepit old Ashes? S
