Infratil, the New Zealand-based investment company that owns Manston Airport, has just published its end of year results. The core businesses of energy and power in New Zealnd and Australia fared well, boosting the share price, but the "European airports" (Prestwick and Manston) continued to disappoint investors.
"No flights to be scheduled between 11pm and 7am at Manston" was the recommendation to the council at a meeting of the Airport Working Party this week. The suggestion was one of ten agreed during the group's final meeting before yesterday's elections. The advisory group also recommended that:
The recommendation will go before a newly formed overview and scrutiny panel on May 19 following the elections which will in turn make its recommendations to the new cabinet.
thisiskent 6th May 2011
AWP, Manston Parkway Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC 
The economics of the marketplace are impartial and unforgiving, grimly scything down any business models that are weak, lame or faltering.
Plenty of people want to go to Manchester, and plenty of people want to come to East Kent. Evidently, not enough people want to travel between the two. So the Manchester route failed. Within a year, we'll find out how many people want to travel between East Kent and Belfast.
Belfast, Employment, Forecast, Manchester 
The Environment Agency will make a decision next month on plans to allow drainage of runway waste into Pegwell Bay.
The government body invited residents to view the application made by Infratil, the owners of Manston airport, at a meeting in Ramsgate last week.
Infratil wants to upgrade the existing surface water drainage pipeline. If approved, the airport will install an interceptor tank capable of removing runoff water from the taxiways, aprons and runway before discharging the waste into the sea.
Charles Buchanan, Environment Agency, Ian Humphreyes, Malcolm Kirkaldie, Pegwell Bay, Pollution KCC are asking for £10m as a starter for the hundreds (?) of millions the station will eventually cost - as if they can't think of anything better to with that kind of money. Mind you, if the China Gateway saga is anything to go by, I would be completely unsurprised to find that some canny TDC councillors have had the foresight to buy some land (that would then need to be compulsorily purchased) slap-bang where the station is proposed. Stay tuned.
Charles Buchanan, KCC, Manston Parkway, Nick Chard, RGF A proposed Thanet Parkway station would give a fantastic boost to Manston airport but the terminal would still grow without it, its boss has said. Charles Buchanan, chief executive of Kent International Airport, said rail links between Ramsgate and London were already much better, with high-speed journey times down to 75 minutes. A Parkway station close to the airport would cut this to around 64 minutes, although he would like to see it fall tobelow 60 minutes. But he insisted that the terminal would grow with or without the station.
Charles Buchanan, Cliffsend, Forecast, KCC, Manston Parkway, Nick Chard, Paul Carter, RGF 
Well, well. The Chairman of KIACC (the consultative group for Kent International Airport) has forwarded a number of very good questions from the general public to Richard Samuel at TDC. The gist of it, unsurprisingly, is: what on earth is going on? Have a look at the exchange and see how many of KIACC's questions TDC answered...
AWP, Bureau Veritas, KIACC, Paul Twyman, Richard Samuel Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC TDC's press release said that Infratil's next policy submission would follow on from (and be guided by?) BV's final report. Unless Infratil throw up their hands in horror at the report's recommendations and simply leave town, they'll be delivering a new proposal in the New Year. Possibly before.
In the meantime, here's some of the more encouraging quotes from the final Bureau Veritas report:
Bob Bayford, Bureau Veritas, Noise, Quota, Ramsgate Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC Infratil don’t want night flights... they just want the shoulder periods.
Future, Nostrildamus Infratil, Manston, Night flights Infratil don’t want night flights... but TDC’s refusal would provide them with a handy cover story for leaving.
Charles Buchanan, Future, Nostrildamus Infratil, Night flights London City Airport is in court. Local residents and campaigners (Fight The Flights) have attracted national attention to their argument that Newham Council's approval of the tens of thousands of extra flights that Charles Buchanan pushed for was both stupid and wrong.
Our all-seeing and tireless spies have infiltrated the London courts to keep an eye on things on your behalf. As you can imagine, the courts are rather fusty and very proper and conservative (with a small "c") places. Proceedings were grinding along at their customary slow but fine pace when who should make a conspicuous late arrival but our own beloved Charles Buchanan.
Charles Buchanan, London City, Newham Infratil Bob Bayford, Consultation, Quota Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC PLANS for public consultation over the Manston airport nightflights application have been put on hold. Thanet council's bosses met with airport owner Infratil on Monday to recommend it comes up with a revised proposal with fewer flights at night. A report by the council's consultants Bureau Veritas, experts in the aviation industry, suggests cutting the number of night flights by a quarter.
Bob Bayford, Bureau Veritas, Charles Buchanan, Employment Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC 
Manston airport’s night-time flying consultation has been delayed as airport-operator Infratil has been forced to check its facts. New noise assessments produced independently by the council have led to it asking the airport to review its application and the public consultation has been halted until Infratil reviews its proposal.
Thanet council received an application from Infratil in late September to extend flying hours at Manston and grant permission for a number of night flights for heavy freight planes. However, a draft report investigating the potential noise impact of night-flying prompted councillors to reject Infratil’s plans on Monday.
Alan Poole, Bob Bayford, Richard Nicholson, S106 Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC Controversial plans to allow night flights at Kent International Airport have been put on hold. Infratil, the company which owns Manston airport, has agreed to revise a proposal to allow planes to take off and land 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It follows a meeting with senior Thanet council officials today.
Under the proposals, an average of eight aircraft movements were expected every night. The majority would have operated in the so-called "shoulder" periods of 11pm-11.30pm and 6am-7am. The council had commissioned an independent review of Infratil's noise assessment report, which was produced by the company as part of its application for night flights.
This review, which is yet to be made public, is understood to have highlighted the need for clarification in a number of areas. A planned public consultation, due to start this month, will not take place until these clarifications are made. Cllr Bob Bayford, the leader of Thanet council, said:
"Before residents have their say, they need to know more detail and have a better understanding of exactly how many aircraft movements are being discussed. That information is difficult to gauge from the proposals that have been put to us, partly because of its technical nature. The council remains supportive of the airport and maximising the employment opportunities it can create but this cannot come at any price for local residents. We need to balance the economic benefits carefully against environmental considerations."
It is not known when a revised proposal will be submitted to Thanet council, although Cllr Bayford admitted it "may take time" to produce.
kentonline 1st Nov 2010
Bob Bayford, Consultation, Noise Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC 
Yes folks, although it was once scheduled to start TODAY, the public consultation has been stopped in its tracks. Thanet District Council CEO Richard Samuel, and TDC Leader Cllr Bayford met Manston's CEO Charles Buchanan to break the bad news - his proposal doesn't merit consideration. How did it come to this?
BAWC, Bob Bayford, Charles Buchanan, Consultation, Proposal, Richard Samuel Infratil, Night flights, TDC 
RESIDENTS against plans for regular night flights at Manston airport made their anger felt at the first public meeting on the issue. The hall at Chatham House School was packed for the meeting called by Ramsgate Town Council on Monday night. It gave people the chance to air their views on an application by the owners of Manston airport, Infratil, to allow scheduled flights at night.
Charles Buchanan, Consultation, David Green, KIACC, Laura Sandys MP, Mike Harrison, RARA, RTC, Windfarm Infratil, Manston, Night flights 
Excellent news from Thanet Labour - they've rejected the ridiculous night flying application from Manston owners Infratil at a Labour Group meeting last night. They cite the "alluded to jobs figures", "quality of life issues for the thousands who would be adversely effected" and the current "section 106 ...needing to be properly enforced and renegotiated".
Alan Poole, Clive Hart, Richard Nicholson, S106 Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC 
Maurice Byford
IN THE letters page of the Isle of Thanet Gazette over recent weeks there have been passionate letters supporting the proposal by Infratil for night flights over Thanet as a means to expand the airport services at Manston. While I support the proposal of expansion and the attempts by the airport to attract an airline to operate out of Thanet it is clear to me that the proposals set out for the night flights option are extremely misguided.
Children, Employment, Health, Letters, Noise Infratil, Manston, Night flights 
Victor HibbenOPPOSITION is mounting to the threat of sleep-busting night flights above Herne Bay. Kent International Airport owner Infratil is asking Thanet District Council to overturn the ban on regular night flying, which could lead to up to six cargo planes a night flying directly over the town.
Employment, NIMBY, Noise Infratil, Manston, Night flights, TDC 
