Doubt over value of regional airports

Paul Kehoe suggests the Doncaster airport is one of a number of regional airports that have left Britain with twice as many as it needs following a short-lived boom in budget travel.

According to reports, Mr Kehoe said: “Clearly, every community wants connectivity. Who am I to say you shouldn’t have an airport?

“But as a country, we need very effective airports and scale does matter. To be blunt, you’ve got to look long and hard at the likes of Blackpool, Doncaster, Durham and Norwich.”

He said that there were 20 airports operating commercial flights between Leeds and Southampton, while flight passengers passing through UK airports had fallen by 19 million since 2007.

His comments follow a deal agreed last week by the Welsh Assembly to pay £52m to nationalise Cardiff’s struggling airport. Mr Kehoe suggested it was unreasonable for the taxpayers to be left picking up the tab.

Traffic at Robin Hood Airport peaked at more than one milion in 2007 but that figure dropped to 693,000 last year, with flights available to more than 30 destinations.

Over £100m has been invested in the airport since it opened in April 2005, including a new terminal building.

A draft master plan, which was the subject of public consultation four years ago, outlines a vision to grow the airport to enable it to handle more than 10m annual passengers by 2030.

Elsewhere, two regional airports have suffered closure with commercial operations ceasing at Plymouth City airport in 2011 and Britsol’s Filton aerodrome shut last year.

However, last December, interest was registered by a mystery investor in reopening Sheffield City Aiport, despite its location just 25 miles from Robin Hood, Doncaster.