An airport just over an hour from London which has been out of action for a decade is set to make a comeback, with hopes that it will start offering budget flights to some of Europe’s top holiday destinations.
Manston Airport in Kent, a former Royal Air Force base known for its crucial role in both World Wars, is currently undergoing a hefty refurbishment and is expected to reopen in 2028.
The rejuvenated airport will concentrate on cargo operations at first, but there are plans for passenger services to be introduced down the line. Tony Freudmann, main board director at RiverOak Strategic Partners, shared his optimism about bringing back passenger services with the BBC, revealing plans to lure short-haul carriers to popular European destinations.
Refurbishment
The revamp of Manston is estimated to set them back a whopping £500million, covering new terminals and runway upgrades. The airport features a single runway that stretches 2,748 meters and is notably wide at 60 meters, designed to handle emergency landings, reports Kent Live.
Following successful cargo operations, passenger routes to countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus and Malta could be added to the airport’s roster. It was reported three years ago that the airport’s owners were having chats with budget airlines including Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air, according to Nottinghamshire Live.
Mr Freudmann said: “Looking at the way the passenger market is going, we are confident we can persuade one or more low-cost carriers to base their planes here. It does not work for us if they fly in just once a day because that is not economic. If they base three or four planes at Manston, we will have rotations three or four times a day, as they have at Southend.”
He added: “That will cover our costs and bring passenger footfall through the terminal all day and every day. We will reinstate the twice daily KLM service to Amsterdam Schiphol that we had before and that will give business people in particular access to almost anywhere in the world.” The Mirror reached out to RiverOak for an update, but they are yet to provide any more information.
Airport demand
The bustle observed at other local airports such as Luton and Stansted hints that there might be room for growth for passenger services in the area.
Earlier in the year, RiverOak said: “Opening an airport – even one like Manston which already has in place a full-length runway, taxiways and airport buildings – takes a huge amount of preparation and planning first and so it will be many months before we are ready to welcome construction teams on site.”
Survey work is set to take place at the airport site throughout this year and next, with the goal of finalising “the airport master plan – a process which we expect to conclude in early 2026”. In addition, there will be an opportunity for the public to have their say on potential flight paths during this period.
The statement added: “By early 2028, we anticipate that construction works will be finished and recruitment for operational roles will commence, enabling us to assemble the team and start detailed preparations for reopening later in 2028.”
However, the proposal to revamp the airport has faced opposition from campaign groups such as Don’t Save Manston Airport, who have highlighted the airport’s previous commercial failures and contend that it is doomed to fail again, emphasising that increased aviation capacity would also negatively impact the environment.
RiverOak, the company that snapped up the site for £14 million, has previously declared plans to initiate with five cargo flights a day. Despite planning officers advising against it, the redevelopment proposals for Manston Airport were approved in 2023.
The Planning Inspectorate expressed scepticism regarding the airport’s ability to offer services “additional to, or different from” those available at other airports, and voiced concerns about the environmental implications and the prospect of heightened local traffic.
Since its closure in 2015 owing to financial difficulties, Manston Airport has been transformed into a lorry park to ease the congestion of traffic bound for cross-Channel routes. The final plane to use its runway took off for Amsterdam on 9 April 2014, signalling the end of regular flight services.
Once standing as Kent’s premier airport, Manston paired up with smaller airfields, namely Rochester and Lydd Airports, to serve the region’s aviation needs.
The company leading the airport’s revival has announced ambitious plans set to generate 650 building jobs, with another 2,000 roles becoming available once the project reaches fruition. The complete plan can be explored on their website, where they emphasise: “The project requires no government funding and has attracted several international investors who are prepared to invest £800 million in this deprived part of the country.”
Although it circumvents local planning procedures by being designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, the refurbishment initiative hasn’t dodged legal obstacles. In 2020, the scheme gained momentum when the Transport Secretary sanctioned a Development Consent Order for the site to become a freight hub; however, the order faced judicial complications, briefly stalling before a subsequent application secured its approval, according to the Kent Messenger.
The airfield at Manston holds a dark history, especially during World War II when it suffered extensive bombing raids and concealed numerous unexploded bombs. Due to its proximity to the battlefront, the airfield was pivotal as an emergency landing ground for aircraft returning from missions with damage.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
