Public consultation starts on Manston's night flying proposal

Runs until Friday 2 March 2012

Thanet District Council is now asking members of the public for their views on proposals for regular night-time flying at Manston Airport. The proposals were submitted by Infratil, owners of the airport, on 27 October 2011 and included an aircraft noise assessment report and economic assessment, which are technical reports explaining the implications of the proposal.

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Study casts doubt on night flight benefits

Plans for night flights at Manston International Airport have been shot down by an independent report. Herne Bay campaigner Phil Rose said:

“This confirms a lot of what the No Night Flights campaign has been saying for the past two years. The original proposal and back-up documents submitted by Infratil were putting a very, very, positive spin on things. They were promising more than the airport could deliver, and they understated the effect night flights would have on the local population.”

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Council's consultation details

A step at a time, TDC stumbles towards the consultation. Currently, the Council's website also gives a link to the Manston website that you can use to leave feedback on the proposals. I think this is a grave error of judgement on TDC's part - I think all the public contributions to the public consultation should go direct to TDC.

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Night-time flying policy for Manston Airport

Public consultation to launch Friday 3 February 2012

From 3 February 2012, Thanet District Council will be asking members of the public for their views on proposals for regular night-time flying at Manston Airport. The proposals were submitted by Infratil, owners of the airport, on 27 October 2011 and included an aircraft noise assessment report and economic assessment, which are technical reports explaining the implications of the proposal.

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Report highlights night flights hype

Nights flights will not be the salvation of Manston airport, according to campaigners who say that a report from a leading transport consultancy backs their views.

Community groups say they do not believe allowing the flights would bring any economic benefit to the residents of Thanet, and may in fact bring harm to the area due to the impact of noise and air pollution.

Many also say that if the proposed operations went ahead, they could actually deter people who might be planning to move their businesses to the area or thinking of buying a home there.

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Man moves house, Manston issues press release

This seems to be another fine example of PR puffery in action. It appears that Mr McQuarrie was already "Group Manager Freight Development for both airports" - so it's unclear what he'll be doing that wasn't already in his job description. The only bit of news appears to be that is moving house from Scotland to Margate. Rather poignantly, he is another employee who tries to play up Manston's lack of business as an advantage: "no congestion".

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Manston Airport’s ability to attract freight operators has been given a boost with the appointment of an experienced freight development manager - Allan McQuarrie, 46, joined Infratil in 2007 and until recently, has been based at their airport in Prestwick, Glasgow.

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CPRE says night flights at Manston will not boost business

The campaign group says night flights could actually damage Thanet’s economic growth. Protect Kent, the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s county branch, says there is little evidence that night flights at Manston Airport will significantly help the local economy. Campaigns manager Andrew Ogden said:

“The fact that Flybe are pulling out in March because they cannot fill planes is damning proof of the lack of demand for flights out of Manston.

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Foley's folly

I've never met David Foley, but I assume in my usual good-natured way that he is a decent guy. I have been interviewed with him on BBC Radio Kent, when he rather irritatingly talked across me, but that's hardly a hanging offence.

A quick search on the Internet reveals that Mr Foley is active in a number of local organisations ranging from the National War Memorial to the Royal Society of Arts, which is commendable – community involvement is "a good thing".

I assume that Mr Foley has experienced business head on his shoulders, which makes the apparent naivete of some of his comments in the press all the more surprising.

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David Foley backs night flights

As part of the continuing PR offensive, Manston airport has roped in David Foley to bang the drum for night flights, as if they're not noisy enough already. The local papers are describing David Foley as "business leaders", despite the fact that there is very obviously just one of him. More of this in another post.

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News that the airline operator Flybe is scrapping Edinburgh service sparks new demands for more flexible flight schedules. 

Business leaders in Thanet have demanded that night flights be given the go ahead at Manston airport in order to attract passenger airlines after Flybe confirmed it was to scrap its service to Edinburgh in March. The firm said the route was not proving financially viable – thus delivering the latest blow to the terminal as it looks to establish itself within the mass market.

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Seasoned greetings...

A reader wrote (to the powers that be):

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Dear All,

This morning at daft o'clock (21st Dec at 04:30) a noisy jet landed at Manston.

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Quick question

A reader writes:

Have recently become more involved in NNF's campaign. Much to digest and eventually understand. Have emailed Manston, MP/councillors about recent flights - as per your website advice.

What I don't quite understand at the moment is - when flights do come over during the restricted hours - who/which organisation has responsibility to decide if they are operating outside of the current agreement/legislation and then who/what organisation then places fines etc onto Infratil?

Thank you for your time.

SM

Hmmm... good questions, which highlight the shortcomings of the current S106 agreement between the Council and the airport.

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Manston to stop fuelling Iran Air: pure coincidence?

A controversial deal allowing Iran Air to refuel at Manston airport will come to an end, the Isle of Thanet Gazette can reveal. Airport boss Charles Buchanan said the company would not be using the airport any more, but said this had nothing to do with recent publicity over the arrangement.

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Infratil selling Prestwick... Manston next?

This has been on the cards for a couple of months now. Infratil has been under increasing pressure from major share-holders in New Zealand to stop wasting time and money on the wrong side of the world.

Struggling Prestwick is almost completely dependent on a single commercially ruthless customer - a foolish and vulnerable position to have got into. When 98% of your business comes from one customer, that customer can call the shots - you've lost control of your business.

Barely struggling Manston has developed a pattern of attracting flakey customers, and has now stumbled, flat-footed, into the glare of international disapproval as a result of some particularly foolish greed.

It's not surprising that the Kiwis should want to crystallise their losses, and get home. TDC would then, of course, have to rifle through Brian White's old filing cabinets looking for a very slim folder labelled "Plan B".

The time and effort spent fussing over Manston's life support sysytem would be far better spent researching and launching a viable and sustainable "economic and social engine".

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Manston winces in the glare of publicity

The Iran Air Fuel Fiasco has been an international PR disaster for the airport. As Maxim PR (the airport's own PR company) says on its website: "You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep".

One consequence of this shambles is that all Manston's customers will be watched more closely in future, which may not please all of them.

Charles Buchanan's comments in this BBC article make it clear that it is the airport's desperation for money that led them into this geo-political minefield, and that they're giving up this revenue stream very reluctantly. Incidentally, this story makes a lot more sense if you replace the word "ethics" with the phrase "public relations"...

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Desperate times call for desperate customers

In the glare of the floodlights at a remote Home Counties ­airfield the crew of an Iran Air passenger jet set about a discreet spot of sanctions ­busting. The bizarre sight of the Tehran-bound plane has become a regular event as it refuels at one of the UK’s smallest airports so the scheduled flight can return to Iran.

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Sanctions busting at Manston

Many of you have been wondering why the state airline of a pariah nation regularly visits a failing airport in the corner of England.

A while ago, I was told that Iran Air come to Manston to refuel, which struck me as a "reasonable reason" but a woefully inadequate explanation. Things are now becoming clearer...

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Support from CPRE Protect Kent

Thanet District Committee

Matters have not been all quiet on the eastern front. A number of issues have surfaced — or re-surfaced — within the District. The most significant is the proposal for night-flights from Kent International Airport, Manston.

This is a subject which has featured for some time as a dark storm cloud over Thanet, ominous and threatening but never quite ready to release its anger. It now appears that the storm is about to break.

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Clown makes a serious point

An irate clown was in no mood for jokes when he arrived at Manston airport on Friday to highlight the "circus" over night-time flying. Sporting a wig, tartan suit and painted clown face, protester Malcolm Kirkaldie attended a meeting of the Kent International Airport Consultative Committee.

Mr Kirkaldie, a former committee member before he resigned in disgust this year, said Thanet council's failure to properly monitor night flights had made a mockery of the 106 agreement with New Zealand-based operators Infratil. He said:

"Given the recent events at the Airport Working Party and the admission of certain failures in the 106 agreement and monitoring, it has turned into a bit of a circus – so I thought how appropriate to dress up as a clown."

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Psst! Want to buy an airport?

CEO confirms: Prestwick for the chop

Well, Dear Reader, you can tell your grandchildren that you read it here before you read it on Bloomberg!

Infratil's Supreme Commander has gone on record in an interview with Bloomberg telling the world that Prestwick doesn't have a long-term future in Infratil's portfolio, because it "isn't performing".

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Noise monitoring at Manston Airport

Noise? What Noise?

More needs to be done to monitor noise created by airplanes at Manston airport, Thanet council officers have admitted after a grilling by councillors.

During the meeting of the Airport Working Party last Wednesday, members quizzed council officials on what had been done to make sure Manston airport operator Infratil sticks to the conditions of its planning agreement, a Section 106, with the council. Labour councillor David Green said he did not think the monitoring was sufficiently independent or transparent, adding:

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Manston's dreams and nightmares

"Nostrildamus nose the future"Nostrildamus says:

• Infratil's Charles Buchanan will shortly unveil his plans to stuff our ears with plane noise 24 hours a day.
• He will brandish carrots and sticks as if they were real.
• He will repeat the mantra that the airport will have to close if the proposals aren't accepted.
• He will never say that he will close the airport - far too personal.
• He will want to distract attention from the fact that the closure of the airport is  a purely commercial decision, already more than half-made.

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