Member Article

Durham Tees Valley Airport sets out final growth masterplan

Officials at Durham Tees Valley Airport have published the final draft of a strategy which aims to secure the airport’s long-term future.

Following a two-month consultation period, the airport’s Master Plan has been published and details ambitions to establish a business-focussed hub, feeding the process chemicals cluster on Teesside.

A desire to make the airport a cargo destination by providing appropriate facilities for air freight, including a freight siding to the Tees Valley railway line, is among the proposals.

The plan also highlights the need to meet the requirements of growth sectors in the aviation industry, such as fire training, aircraft dismantling and maintenance and repair services.

A Northside development at the airport will include office buildings and between 250-400 residential houses, as well as an extension to the on-site St George’s Hotel.

Overall the plan, which will be developed to 2020 and beyond, is estimated to generate 3,800 jobs, as wel as 450 full time equivalent jobs during the construction phases.

Airport bosses say the publication of the Master Plan has coincided with increased passenger numbers on the airport’s two key scheduled services to Amsterdam Schipol and Aberdeen.

Airport strategic planning director Peter Nears said: “The impact of the recession has made significant and lasting changes to the air travel industry and the Master Plan sets out how we can establish a viable business model and long-term investment strategy for Durham Tees Valley in the light of those changes.

“The reality is that many major operators, including low-cost carriers, now concentrate their activities at a limited number of airports and Durham Tees Valley is no different from a number of other smaller airports across the country in having to diversify income sources.

“One of the key strengths of Durham Tees Valley is its land holdings north and south of the runway and maximising the return from developing those assets holds the key to securing airport services.

“Of course, people have been concerned for the future following the fall in passenger numbers over recent years but I hope that they will now see that this Plan does set out a path which, with support from our stakeholders, the business community and the public, can lead to a more secure future for Durham Tees Valley.

“Our task now is to move forward with key elements of the Master Plan and that will be happening in the very near future.

“An encouraging sign that our intention to concentrate on supporting and developing services important to the business community is the right way forward is reflected in the passenger figures on the Amsterdam and Aberdeen services from January to March—with the KLM service to Schiphol up 16% year on year and Eastern Airways to Aberdeen up by 13 %.

“As well as serving the needs of the our business community, who increasingly operate in worldwide markets, the Amsterdam service does, of course, provide access to many leisure destinations.

“We are pleased that the importance of the airport to the competiveness and prosperity of the area has been recognised in the Draft Strategic Economic Plan submitted to Government by Tees Valley Unlimited and its partners.

“Amongst its specific ‘asks’ of Government are a number of measures relevant to the airport, including the introduction of differential rates of Air Passenger Duty and the introduction of ring-fenced slots for regional flights at London airports.“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .