I live in Thanet and I can't see any the investment you're on about. For that matter I can't see any investment at MSE. It's all looking rather bedraggled. Personally, I can't see the commercial sense in using the place. It's out on a limb in East Kent and it takes hours and gallons of fuel to get to anywhere outside Kent. It seems to me that the London airports are far better placed to deal with freight AND passengers. With fule costs set to keep on rising, I think the debate will soon shift from which new airports shall we develop, to which airports will survive ?

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Except it doesn't.

The CLOSEST it gets is about half a mile from the airport perimeter, and even then a) it is still separated from the airport by a major road, b) it's still on the wrong side of the airport to serve the terminal.

It don't take hours to get out off Kent and Manston is the best place for freight and charter hoildays with no delays good roads into the airport its just all brilliant. Manston is the South east verison off Bournemouth.

James

I feel that might be a tad over enthusiastic. I am delighted that you
are supporting your local airport, however if things were really that
good then Manston would have developed years ago, with airlines
beating a path to it's door.

Because of it's poor geographic location, with no real catchment area,
and a substandard infrastructure no scheduled airline can seriously
consider it.

It's main plus is it suffers few ATC constraints. Well that's a start!

Come on chaps, this is getting tiresome. The usual old stuff that's trotted out about rail links, no catchment area etc etc.

500,000 live within a 20 min drive
1.9m live within a 60 min drive

Very few regional airports in Britain have rail links. I can think of Southampton and Prestwick.

It's all about market opportunities, management and investment. Sun routes, plus links to such places as Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Amsterdam are the key to success in pax services. There are masses of Poles working in Kent. The esoteric stuff is a bonus.

As for freight, the potential is huge. Emirates Air Force has moved there from Lyneham; huge benefits in reduced flying time. The Middle and Far East are where all the growth is taking place. Which is the closest UK airport to them? DAS is talking seriously about a move. The delay to Stansted's 2nd runway will have an impact. And it's not just about airport capacity. Lots of freight/parcels carriers find that their vehicles can't get into and out of the major airports because of road congestion.

It is also very suitable for tech stops. Investment is needed to get the fuel supply right, plus quite a few other things.

I just hope that Infratil have got the money and drive to pull it off. They have an established relationship with Ryanair and Wizz. We shall see.

"Lots of freight/parcels carriers find that their vehicles can't get into and out of the major airports because of road congestion."

And there's no road congestion around Thanet, is there ?

LOL ;)

Jes You are not really Syeed from "The Apprentice" are you.??
I agree with you about the freight. All the arguments are there, but Pax (other than local traffic) no chance. It's not "the usual stuff" it's reality.

Jes

Well said :D just have to wait and see now hope ryanair or Wizz fly out off MSE. Another DAS aircrat landed at MSE yesterday AJK1087 DC10 5X-ROY eta 1439 from Lagos No outbound FPL

James

Jes said: "The Middle and Far East are where all the growth is taking place. Which is the closest UK airport to them?"

Are you seriously suggesting that proximity to the destination has anything to do with the choice of which airport you fly your goods from? If so, might I respectfully point out that there are numerous continental airports which are closer to the Middle East than Manston.

Is it just me or are there people on this board, who seem increasingly desperate to tell us that Manston is making progress? The weeds tell a different story.

catflaps

:= Manston is the closeist UK airport to the Middle East:ok:

james

RAIL LINK
 

It may come as a surprise to some of you, that Manston did once have a rail link when it was military airfield. It was closed in 1927, presumably traffic could not justify the cost in those times of military retrenchment.
Parts of the route can still be seen as crop marks in aerial photos, if you know where to look. I can't see that particular route being reopened for two reasons, 1) development on the route, 2) ends up on the wrong part of the airfield.
Having said that, another route might have possibilities, there used to be a rail branch passing Nash Road, Margate. I would not have thought that would be too difficult to re-open as far is I can see, others may know better. I suspect a link to the Ramsgate/Minster line would have rather too much of a gradient.

All has gone silent with BA Cargo. The only reason Oliver built the BIP.
Das are back for 6 months and pax start in 12 days but where are the ground staff for kent escapes, newmarket holidays, military and world airways?
MK keep ticking over with the frequent flights on tues weds and sun but with only the Fire Crews to turn around.
If Manston wants to move forward then it needs investment in both its staff and ground equipment.

You need to shout louder, the management can't hear you and we are all horse from shouting !!:{ :{

blazing_air

So there are livestock flights from Manston!!

Perhaps you mean hoarse?!! :rolleyes:

Damn it !!
Did i let the CAT out of the bag??:)

Billygoat,
can you elaborate on "Das are back for 6 months "

What military :confused:

James

James
Whilst i am in favour of spreading the word, if you have news or rumours about a particular airline i don't think it is prudent to talk about future flights that may be of a sensitive nature in this world we live in today.

Investment in Thanet
 

catflaps

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Have you ever been to the Westwood area in thanet?
Massive investment taking place, pehaps you dont get out
I never said at MSE Thanet area

So, let's get this straight. You're using an aviation bulletin board, but when you talked about massive investment, you were actually referring to the shopping centre that's been built several miles away.

Would you not agree that Manston is looking very run-down, and in dire need of investment?

Would you not agree that Infratil don't appear to be investing any folding money into the place?