I guess when it ceases to have a terminal building? Even then I would suggest it becomes an Aerodrome before dropping to Airfield? Either way DTVA still has some way to go before that happens.

A completely unnecessary and inaccurate article in today's Northern Echo, the airport has suitable facilities to cater for the number of passengers it currently has, with more being sought. It sounds like this guy travelled through the airport just before the new Cafe opened in departures and for whatever reason it's taken until now for the Echo to print it.

Durham Tees Valley Airport rejects passenger's 'total lack of facilities' claim (From The Northern Echo)

Perhaps the airport should of done like all of the other airports who don't charge a fee and instead just stick it on to some other charge or cost in stealth.

Beafer, the article is most definitely not factual that's why I chose to criticise it, and don't even get me started on the type of people that post those ridiculous comments.

Cautious Optimist

Legally the current DVTA is a "licensed aerodrome", which it needs to be to accept public transport passenger flights. In this respect neither and airport or airfield exists.

If flying is to continue it remains an aerodrome (for local planning legislation purposes), question is whether it remains licensed, or becomes unlicensed and accordingly restricts movements to GA which do not require a licensed aerodrome and training (by aircraft with a weight 2730KG or less).

I hope that things work out at DTVA. I have seen too many Master Plans which were mere pie in the sky with no robust business case, on occasions to keep Local Planning Authorities sweet to permit partial non-aviation development on the site.

As time passes a case to support a position that the aerodrome is no longer viable as a business is the prelude to cessation of flying and re-development of the whole site.

Levy
 

sorry guys,I've forgotten...After the previous articles..what exactly does the £6 levy go towards.
It's no secret the facilities are on a par with the worst of airports.
Not sure what can be done..its a catch 22 situation

No flights=no passengers=no facilities=no hope? That's the aviation side of the airport...however the master plan when up and running,may,just may, provide an aviation future?:confused:

Newcastle
 

Came into Newcastle on the first KLM this morning. Airport was open with plenty of ploughs keeping things clear and safe. Sat in the A1 in the roadworks and was cursing my decision but got home at a sensible time in the end. Checked DTV when I got in and noticed the airport is snow closed and that the 1533 diverted to Newcastle. Proved I made the right decision to stick with Newcastle at this time of year. Such a shame I think like this but how many other regular travellers do the same?

KLM
 

just hope the relationship between the airports major operator and the owners is strong.
Late out again this morning due airport snow clearance and the subsequent connection problems in Amsterdam .this followed by diversion to newcastle for same reasons.

It's all very well courting klm but surely a professional airport service must be provided in order for the relationship to prosper??:ugh

I know it costs money to provide equipment ma power de iced etc..maybe if peel spent some of the £6 passenger tax on these problems people would be more understanding??

Do we know how much snow there was? Beafer might report from walking the Alsation. Newcastle fares better being closer to the sea and obviously has more staff and equipment to clear the snow. Perhaps its too much of an investment for so few days of the year.

I suspect you are right, it would be too expensive to maintain the facilities for the few days. I'm not knocking the airport for clearly making an economic judgement call. By the same token though, if that investment isn't made, they can't expect Jo Public to take the risk during the worst of the winter when an alternative is just a short drive away.

It's luck of the draw, even Manchester couldn't remain open today, as N707ZS said Newcastle may well have less than us? There are times when the situation is reversed and Newcastle is shut whilst we are open.

Half the time the Amsterdam flight gets delayed or cancelled due to snow it's at the Amsterdam end anyway.

Both an issue and a non-issue at the same time.

Suppose you could lose a white dog in the snow!

More News
 

I see some more news has appeared - a new Microlight school is opening up and there is a one off charter to Lapland by Newmarket Holidays - flying to Pajala in Sweden! All on the airports website.

Blimey - a microlight school, and I thought the parachute school was a bit odd. Good luck to them for giving it a go.

A parachute centre and a microlight school does seem to be an odd way to sell houses though - presumably they'll be at their busiest when people want to be out in their gardens.

SWBKCB has forecast it about right I would say. The bloody awful racket that the Para Drop aircraft makes ruined just about every nice weekend since they began operating. And now they are talking about Microlights. Representions have been made to the Airport regarding the noise pollution caused by the Para Drop aircraft but has fallen on deaf ears. There was a distinct cheer around our neighbourhood when the news filtered out that the aircraft had been damaged recently.

Fire cover
 

Think the notam means that the airport "man" up purely for the schedules and the rest of the time the guys will be doing other duties?
Suppose that's one of the reasons DTV doesn't get any diversions of note any more as the cover cant be relied upon and so airlines don't plan to come?
Just another obstacle in the path of airlines :ugh:

DTV the most welcoming airport..not!

The snowtams are the usual ones pushed out by airports,again though with only a couple of guys and a clapped out tractor don't expect miracles!

Is this guy taking the :mad: or what???!!! It's an AIRPORT! Don't like aircraft noise then hard luck pal because unless you've lived next to it for over 74 years you ain't got a case! :ugh:

Nothing to do with this! We didn't get diversions even when we had the cover and it's nothing to do with the airports it's because the airlines choose to divert to a base where they have an engineering presence.

Once perhaps, but it's quite obvious they're doing something about it!

Let me try and explain. I haven,t quite reached the 74 years living next to the airport which you deem necessary to be able to be form an opinion regarding what I and many others find to be an annoying intrusion to our quality of life. I "have" lived next to the airport for well over fifty years and in all that time the only other reason we have had cause to complain was when the Police operated the "Islander" with it's very noisy piston engines. Lots of us where regularly woken in the dead of night by that aircraft droning around at low level, flaps deployed and high power settings. Thankfully that is a thing of the past. The "normal" airport movements of departures, arrivals and circuit training of all types from club light aircraft to passenger jet transports are not a problem as their noise "footprint" and duration is generally quite short.
The Para Drop aircraft operation can in no way be described as normal for an operational "Airport" and is more suited to a rural flying club. The aircraft used is noted as being particularly noisy and the practice of climbing to "drop height" in the overhead before a rapid descent, re-load and repeat the process is intrusive and annoying.
I wonder just what ATC think of the possible operation of Microlights from an "International Airport" in controlled airspace !!.:ugh:

Good try ??
 

It seems to me that Peel are trying very hard to give the impression that they actually care about the airport...without actually doing much at all and certainly not putting their hand in their pocket!

New Ga policy
Para school
Microlight training
A master plan


Not much input Methinks and certainly not much income.

Beefier may well be right..10 years and a lucrative housing estate in place.

Doesn't it make you think that they are trying to do something for once, people have moaned on hear nothing is happening, when we do get the first green shoots we get the NIMBYs and knockers back again.

I personally would like to see more of the executive jet work and hopefully some sort of airliner type business which has been promised for some time.

I've obviously not made myself clear, so I’ll explain again.

My problem is not with increasing activity at DTVA and have said a number of times that the airport needs to diversify and attract other, preferably aviation related business - think Kemble, Staverton, Hurn, Norwich.

I also agree that anybody who buys a house near an airport deserves everything they get.

However that isn’t the case here – we’re not talking about existing householders, but about selling houses that haven’t yet been built.

Here’s how it might pan out

House Buyer: “what’s that noise?”

Estate Agent: “that’s just the parachute dropping/microlight training aircraft”

House Buyer: “Oh, and how often do they fly?”

Estate Agent: “Only on nice day’s at the weekend and the odd summer evening”

House Buyer: “So just when I want to be outside in my nice new garden?”

Now, will their response be option 1, “Oh good, where’s my Binoculars?” or Option 2 – “Thank you, but where’s next on my list?”


Again, and keeping it simple, a large part of the Peel Masterplan rests on selling land near the terminal for housing, and using the profit from that to fund the other areas of the plan.

Another part of the plan is diversifying the aviation activities at the airport and this they’ve done with the Parachuting and now the microlights – as others have said, that these can hardly be major money makers, can't have cost a lot to bring in and might well have an impact on the sale of the land which then impacts on the rest of the plan. Just looks a bit odd.

You can be sure developers will be using it to knock down the price Peel get, as they'll be saying it might put off future house buyers

I'm sorry an airport is there to serve aircraft of all shapes and sizes, noisy or quiet it doesn't matter, like I said, unless people have lived there for over 74 years the airport was there first and therefore has 'right of way', surely when you bought the house you did so knowing that noise would be a factor? I'm sorry but as far as I can see local residents of any airport do not and should not have a leg to stand on.

Wrong, there's nothing that states an International or Regional airport cannot branch out into all forms of aviation, I even recall there's a Heathrow-sized airport somewhere in the world that has such traffic, albeit with a separate mini-runway in a very remote corner.

The new GA policy is working, if they didn't care about the airport why release a master plan at all? And don't say to make it look like they care because a company like Peel do not give a monkeys about appearances, others have said it before if they wanted the place shut they would have years ago.

If you're going to criticise, take a leaf out of SWBKCBs book - he tries to see both sides instead of attacking the airport at every opportunity.

This is a harsh attitude to take, but by the time any house hunter looks at buying a new house near the terminal, the money from the housing land will already be in the airports coffers, therefore the airport do not need to care and can focus on the rest of the master plan.

The likes of Skydiving and Microlights may not bring in very much money, but the more companies that start-up/move in it will soon build up, and if they keep attracting companies at the rate they have been, it won't be long before they've got a good bit of rent pouring in.

Yeah - mostly by you
One acre for every time you've mentioned it, your repetitiveness certainly gives several on here a head-acre :rolleyes:

Well said No-More-Bullschit! :D

Someone mentioned Gloucester, they're where they are today largely thanks to building a housing estate! :ugh:

Housing estate at Staverton? Do you mean industrial estate?

The CAA list of UK airports who charge fee's for passing through.

Only Peel could charge for a 3 year old to pass through the airport. :=

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2200/Airport_Charges.pdf

Beafer, on the bright side, 2 bags for £1 at MME, 1 bag for £1 at NCL :ouch:

There is the same comment on the Eastern thread, is there such a thing as a forum bug?

The link between Beefer's posts and DTVA become ever more tenuous...

Think he needs to get out with the dogs a bit more!

Note to managment
 

If the people of Coventry don't want this it should fit nicely on our Southside.

Plan for 10,000 new jobs in Coventry BLOCKED by government - Coventry Telegraph

I see the road down by Skydive St George and DTFT has been resurfaced, I wonder if this is related to the new south-side road as doesn't this section form part of it?

Latest figures
 

I know we have "agreed". Not to put too much emphasis on passenger figures as the new Master Plan comes to fruition(sic)...however January's figures are truly appalling....down another 10% on already rock bottom statistics.

Ok guys waiting for the chink of light.:ugh:

another fact
 

I am nearly speechless but ..that equates to 159. Yes. 159 departing passengers per day using the airport.:mad:

We all live in hope but dear me !!!!!!

Aberdeen down 14%
Amsterdam down 5%

Figures
 

Whilst I am sure the weather had an impact in January v last year, more worryingly we shouldn't underestimate the effect the collapse in oil price will have on these routes. Aberdeen is all about O and G and is suffering quite badly now with contractors losing their jobs and companies reducing their spend. KLM is a little more diverse but still relies on oil workers travelling out to projects around the world. Be interesting to see how these figures play out over the coming months........

Newcastle was also down 14% on the Aberdeen route but Amsterdam was up 2% - MME did suffer with at least one non weather cancellation by KLM (which I was booked on) plus I am not sure if the weather was a casualty.

Flew from this airport on Friday and what a good experience it is turning up at 5:15 in the morning with plenty of time to catch a 6am flight. Sure the facilities are not at the standard of larger airports but a short check in time is more important for me than a duty free shop or bar. The airport should make much more of this advantage in their marketing as LCY do.

Can you believe anything that any M.P says, especially Labour?

What do you want him to do? Say 'We'll let Newcastle represent us on the Transport for the North board, and I don't give a toss about the airport.'

More Bad News
 

It just gets worse for DTV
Tees Valley Helicopter base to close | Tyne Tees - ITV News

The best outcome for DTV would be sustainable development for the future:

Aeropark...tick...flying training... tick... limited housing (associated with aeropark perhaps)...tick...new technology and associated employment...tick....specialist industries...tick. Housing estates...cross....storage depot....cross.....retail park....cross...car manufacturing plant....probably cross (got one of those at former very nice a/f up the road)


Tees side flying club started my flying career over 35 years ago.

But the fact is that even then the local authorities were squabbling over who owned and was responsible for what. It was 'dead in the water' then and with ICI, BMA history, electrification of East Coast rail...it still is now. The region cannot support two international airports.


Time to stop dreaming,accept it and move forward.

Tin hat on...

Binder