Buster the Bear
6th May 2004, 21:14
THE blossoming of Cranfield into a fully-fledged Milton Keynes Airport is still up in the clouds.
The aerodrome is increasingly used by local executives jetting off to Europe, but there is no sign yet of a plane operator-investor to spark its transformation into the number one airport for city business.
Cranfield campus development officer David Newens said: "In terms of the future, we want to work with people who are local and successful and near to us – which is Milton Keynes."
But the emergence of Cranfield as a prime city airport was "some years away," he said.
It is hopeful that an executive airline feeling the heat on landing rights at Luton or Stansted – or any airport within the M25 – might be interested in a move to Bedfordshire.
It still has plans, announced over two years ago, to add another five hangars and create 200 new jobs. For the moment, however, the number of flights in and out of the location remains constant at about 100,000 per year – and only three per cent of those are business flights. The vast majority of traffic is through training flights, with increasing reliance on a simulator.
Residents' concerns about the likely expansion of Cranfield were voiced at a recent city council meeting held at nearby Woburn Sands.
Some were worried about general aircraft noise in the area. A council officer said planes going into Luton did not "stack" over the area and that any noise in Woburn Sands was from light aircraft.
Mr Newens said Cranfield was in close touch with Cranfield Parish Council and received only a handful of complaints about noise.
A home at last for Thomsonfly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://whipsnade.co.uk/picturelibrary/jpeg150/br/brown_bear_120_wide.jpg
The aerodrome is increasingly used by local executives jetting off to Europe, but there is no sign yet of a plane operator-investor to spark its transformation into the number one airport for city business.
Cranfield campus development officer David Newens said: "In terms of the future, we want to work with people who are local and successful and near to us – which is Milton Keynes."
But the emergence of Cranfield as a prime city airport was "some years away," he said.
It is hopeful that an executive airline feeling the heat on landing rights at Luton or Stansted – or any airport within the M25 – might be interested in a move to Bedfordshire.
It still has plans, announced over two years ago, to add another five hangars and create 200 new jobs. For the moment, however, the number of flights in and out of the location remains constant at about 100,000 per year – and only three per cent of those are business flights. The vast majority of traffic is through training flights, with increasing reliance on a simulator.
Residents' concerns about the likely expansion of Cranfield were voiced at a recent city council meeting held at nearby Woburn Sands.
Some were worried about general aircraft noise in the area. A council officer said planes going into Luton did not "stack" over the area and that any noise in Woburn Sands was from light aircraft.
Mr Newens said Cranfield was in close touch with Cranfield Parish Council and received only a handful of complaints about noise.
A home at last for Thomsonfly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://whipsnade.co.uk/picturelibrary/jpeg150/br/brown_bear_120_wide.jpg