Then don't buy it, but I assure you it's right. And no I'm not saying that these only operate with the assistance of FoDTVA volunteers, I'm saying FoDTVA volunteers make a small but valuable contribution to them.

And as for your smoke and mirrors comment - that's some smoke and mirrors that is!!!

Surreal Experience
 

Well I have been,seen and experienced the joys of the local airport.

The heading says it all. I really was hoping for a positive experience.To be fair the FoDTV volunteer was excellent .Thankfully as there were no other visible staff around!
Departure/arrival boards showing 2nd September,that was on the Saturday and Sunday!
For an airport which is hanging on by a thread,surely someone somewhere should be taking the bull by the horns and leading by example? Less than two hours before a flight ,there was nothing open..nothing...nothing!:(
Plus points were,Check in was excellent,security not a problem and the small ex lounge/cafe above expectations.
Flight on time both ways.Immigration excellent on return but had to wait outside in the open air to get inside?
Bags waiting on belt and outside terminal within 25 mins of landing.
Beautiful weekend on departure with nothing other than a Cessna and 2 para drops.One police helicopter and a micro light over the top..depressing really.
So all in all,the personnel side excellent,the limited facilities were..limited and oh so quiet.Nothing unexpected.
Nothing really learnt but judging by other people's comments,quite a few overheard will not be rushing back soon.A final point..we sat near the departure tax machine and the majority didn't know ,expect or were happy with the tax.
Honest comments and I know the reasons,however,in my own opinion unless something major changes,it's looking bleak for a once vibrant and useful regional asset .

It's been a few weeks since I last worked the Jersey flights via FoDTVA, but when I last did, WH Smith opened for it - both landside and airside, so not sure why it was closed for your experience.

Also, just because it was quiet whilst you were there doesn't mean that's the case all of the time, movements are definitely up significantly this year, in fact, I'm quietly hoping for a record.

Otherwise a fair enough report I guess.

I've heard about this a few times, one of Kerry Quinn's genius ideas by all accounts...:ugh:

What role do FoDTVA volunteers play in things like the Jersey flight?

Volunteers
 

The FoDTV guy we saw,basically was it! The face of the airport.He was meeting most passengers,directing them to the tax machine and helping with instructions on useage(plus explanation for the need)direction to flight check in and offering any general airport advice he could.A sort of mobile information desk!
Doing a sterling job to promote the airport on Peels behalf!

Did you fly on the 23rd? If so we were spread thinly that day, we had people at Cleveland Show as well, hence why only one person. But you keep referencing a lack of airport staff, but why do you need them? As long as the check-in and security staff are there, and normally WH Smith staff, what more do you want?

Expect the unexpected...
 

These are Not criticisms,just observations.Flew on 24th but called in prior on 23rd to 'sus' out!

I suppose I was expecting something that has gone forever from marginal regional airports.A bit of soul,life,dancing girls!

Shops,car hire,bars,exchange bureau de change,duty free ,information desk,parts of airport boarded up and looking like a poor UK high street,empty car parks,actual real live people etc!

Why do I( and others)want them? It's all part of the experience.Talking to one guy who had only flown once before...he was a little perplexed at the environment...expecting more of a buzz maybe?
I appreciate the difficult times which are encompassing marginal airports but are all the relevant parties pulling in the same direction?
I just felt the presence of Peel was doing no good at all to the aspirations of DTV. BTW. road signs are still a miss match on approach and our departure airport still showed Teesside!

CO - "Also, just because it was quiet whilst you were there doesn't mean that's the case all of the time, movements are definitely up significantly this year, in fact, I'm quietly hoping for a record."
Hoping for a record??? A record from when?? Last Year?? Last week?? Really the airport had its record years in the 1990's - No way its going to beat one of those.....

TVTC meeting - DTV Airport
 

Interesting points raised about holding Peel to account considering half of this group are also on the DTVA board.
Meeting 19th July 2016
Joint LEP and Tees Valley Combined Authority Agenda
https://www.stockton.gov.uk/media/70...t-info-pdf.pdf

page 3/7
TVTC STRATEGIC TRANSPORT PRIORITIES
With regard to the Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) Members felt that perhaps the TVTC should be holding Peel to account of what they were doing and the opportunities that had been missed.

Another option could be that the TVTC ask the LEP Board to convene a Task and Finish Group that would include some key partners from the private sector. It was agreed that Officers prepare an options paper on how best the TVTC and the LEP should scrutinise the master plan for DTVA.

RESOLVED that:-
The report be noted.
Officers prepare an options paper on how best the TVTC and the LEP should scrutinise the master plan for DTVA.

Would be interesting to see the minutes of the meet.

Really, has anybody thought of the question, why is DTV needed? Teesside-Newcastle, One hour, Teesside-Leeds, One hour. Teessiders not affluent, nor a popular holiday destination. I imagine people in Madrid aren't screaming to come to Middlesbrough for a weeks jolly in the sun. Keep the strip for viable private business,FT,Para,MOD and sell the rest of the terminal and car park land for housing, and stop dreaming.

I'll be there for another lesson Mon 16th at 10. Come wave me off in G-BOFZ, better get my PPL finished before the airport disappears haha.

It is 5 minutes from my house and I do about 25 foreign trips a year! A good but selfish reason for me to keep it. There is a big difference in leaving home at 4am to get the 6am KLM flight from NCL to having an extra hour in bed to get the same flight from MME.

The airport might not be the asset to the local area it once was, but it does provide local connectivity for overseas workers and exporters.

Fortunately one person is not a viable business case for keeping it open. The only reason they continue to make a loss every year is the huge potential for housing, I personally hope it stays and is a thriving airport, but unless Leeds Or Newcastle close its future is nonexistent.

In my experience, the 6:00 outbound and 21:30 inbound KLM flights are pretty full, 80% of who are business people linked to businesses in the Teesside area. Whilst there is not a great deal of tourism business on the AMS route and overall passenger numbers are not huge, the route supports a wide range of businesses (and therefore jobs) in the Teesside area.

Business people want convenience and are less price sensitive than people paying their own fares. The problem in our area is that there are not enough of them to warrant more routes and higher usage of the airport.

Of course Peel are sat on a huge land asset but for the moment they seem content to lose money on the airport whilst slowly exploiting the land. As far as KLM goes, judging by the pricing on various routes starting at MME I suspect they are quite happy with the money they are making here.

What's happened to the new link road to the South side?

To suggest the airport is not viable and that the future is nonexistent is just wreckless, even selfish. There are at present at least 15 businesses on site many of which do very very well, so that would be at least 15 less businesses if the airport was to close, and tens if not a hundred or more job losses. I would suggest some people need to engage their brain before speaking.

oldart - one of the councils is showing the link road as on hold. Rumour is they're revisiting the possibility of accessing the south side from Yarm again.

Peel are currently trying to acquire all the land north of the airport boundary fence. (roadside fence north of Hangars 1 and 2 area to the A67)

Most companies next to DTV are classed as non airport land e.g., Serco, hospital etc.

Peel may have also purchased those properties on the quiet such as the Tower works land and the half built sports complex, but as far as I'm aware the only airport land which was gifted to them by the councils for £500k in 2003, was south of the boundary fence line near to the Spa Hotel, along with the new main airport road area into the airport.
(Soon to be houses - that road and new drains were paid for by public ONE company, now disbanded).

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider...pment-revealed

The plan for 350 homes (2nd June 2016)
Durham Tees Valley Airport submits plans for 350 homes north of the terminal | Tyne Tees - ITV News

With the latest Tees Valley meeting comments now being made public, I wonder when the councils elected members decide to come clean on the original airport sale contract? There have been a number of Freedom of Information requests being made according to press reports.

I had hoped the airport would become as popular as 2006 but I don’t think Peel are interested in the public or their holiday flights.
Maybe Mr Hough can tell use whats happening this year, or will there be yet another master plan for 700 further houses?

For a minute there I thought Beafer enquired about the original 2003 sale for the 900th time...oh wait he did! :rolleyes:

FFS, how many more times, they are perfectly interested, just not in the present market where the airlines fleece the airports.

I would suggest some people need to engage their eyes before speaking. If a business makes a loss of £2,500,000 a year now is that viable, how long can it be sustained? Unless there was some other plan. Sell the terminal, sell the land around shorten the field and taxi area to maximise land for sale.