Reports from the national and local press, and a couple of interesting takes on the story from the trade press.
BBC 13th Nov 2012
An airline has announced a new service from Manston to Amsterdam with the creation of 28 jobs in Kent. KLM Royal Dutch Airline which is merged with Air France said it will run a twice daily service from the Kent airport to Schiphol in Amsterdam. In September KLM asked Manston to conduct a survey to find out what the level of demand was for the service.
The new 55-minute flights will link Manston to more than 130 destinations from Amsterdam. The airport said that of the 9,300 responses to its survey, 80% came from CT postcodes in East Kent.
Just over 80% said they would use a direct service to Amsterdam, with 60% then connecting with flights to other parts of Europe. Of those responding 96% said they would use Manston in preference to other airports. KLM is to run two morning flights from Manston, with one returning in mid-morning and the other in the evening.
The New Zealand company Infratil, which also owns Prestwick Airport, put its two UK airports up for sale in March this year. Infratil said that it would "continue to seek a buyer for the airports and work with local stakeholders to review alternatives". Together Prestwick and Manston airports recorded losses for the six months to the end of September of just over £2m.
Passengers travelling through the airports fell by more than 180,000 during the period compared with the same time in 2011, although freight business increased. Budget airline Flybe pulled out of Manston in March saying flights from Kent were not economically viable. Manston has been valued at £7.6m.
kentnews.co.uk 14th Nov 2012
The news that KLM will operate flights from Manston airport in Thanet to Amsterdam has been warmly welcomed.
Last night, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines gave the go ahead to twice-daily flights from Kent to Schiphol in Amsterdam. From there passengers will be able to travel to over 130 destinations worldwide. The move is set to boost tourism in Kent as well as make it easier for local businesses to trade abroad. The flights will also allow Kent residents to travel without the hassle of flying from London airports.
Manston airport bosses have said they are now planning to recruit 28 extra staff for the flights which start on April 2 and go on sale today. Each return flight will cost £99 and the first flight leaves Kent at 6.35am with the last flight returning at 9.45pm.
Henri Hourcade, general manager for KLM in the UK said:
"Demand for efficient and convenient schedules to long-haul destinations from the UK continues to grow, to emerging markets in Latin America, Africa and the Far East, but equally to established markets such as North America. By connecting the UK regions to worldwide destinations, KLM is offering more choice to holidaymakers, but equally adding to the infrastructure for regional UK businesses."
Charles Buchanan, chief executive at Manston Airport, said:
"The new services will be a real benefit to Kent and its residents. Passengers will be able to arrive at Manston, park adjacent to the terminal building, check in and be on the flight to Amsterdam within minutes, a hassle-free experience that makes travelling a pleasure. Passengers from Manston can leave home without the worries of road congestion or excessive flight delays affecting their journey."
thisiskent 16th Nov 2012
Thanet will be linked with 130 global destinations after Air France KLM announced two new daily flights from Manston to Europe's fourth-busiest airport. The Franco-Dutch airline will offer the new service between Manston and Schiphol Airport, near Amsterdam in The Netherlands, from April 2 – creating 28 new jobs at the Thanet airport.
Two morning flights from Manston will each be able to carry 80 passengers – with a return to Amsterdam costing as little as £99. A Fokker 70 jet will run the services at 6.35am and 10.40am from Manston, with a total flight time of under an hour.
After making the announcement at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge on Tuesday, Manston Airport chief executive Charles Buchanan said:
"This is great news for Kent, great news for Manston and great news for KLM. We are physically the closest airport for most of Kent. Passengers will be able to arrive at Manston, park adjacent to the terminal building, check in and be on the flight to Amsterdam within minutes."
Air France KLM was convinced the service would take off after a consultation received more than 9,000 responses last month. About 96 per cent of Kent residents who gave their views said they would use the service. The airline's UK general manager, Henri Hourcade, said on Tuesday:
"It's an airport which has proved to be reliable – a small terminal, English-speaking, good shopping. We think there are people in Kent who are fed up with traffic, the M25, expensive parking, and saturated airports, and we will offer a hassle-free alternative to London."
Mr Hourcade said Thanet would also become a destination for incoming passengers, adding:
"Manston will be part of our global map. It will be with our sales forces all around the planet."
Passengers will be able to connect to countries such as Brazil, South Africa and the USA, via Air France KLM's main airports – Schiphol and Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. The new service comes after a year of some disappointments for Manston. Budget airline Flybe pulled services to Edinburgh and Belfast, and Thanet council voted not to allow limited scheduled flights at night. The airport was put up for sale by its owners, the New Zealand-based Infratil.
Tickets for the new service are available now at www.klm.com
Travel Weekly 14th Nov 2012
KLM will begin flying from Manston Airport in Kent next April, operating twice daily services to Amsterdam Schiphol. The launch from Manston is something of a surprise as the loss-making airport is up for sale, has little traffic and previous scheduled services have been pulled.
Airport owner Infratil, the New Zealand-based infrastructure investment firm, reported a £22 million write-down in the value of its two UK airports, Manston and Glasgow Prestwick, this week. KLM will commence the services on April 2, using an 80-seat Fokker 70 aircraft. Tickets go on sale today.
Manston will be the carrier’s 17th UK departure airport. Air France-KLM UK general manager Henri Hourcade said:
"UK demand for convenient schedules to long-haul destinations continues to grow. KLM offers more choice to holidaymakers by connecting the UK regions to worldwide destinations."
Manston Airport chief executive Charles Buchanan said:
"The new services will be a real benefit to Kent residents. Passengers will be able to arrive at Manston, park adjacent to the terminal building and be on the flight to Amsterdam within minutes."
Manston, also known as Kent International Airport, has a chequered history for scheduled flights. Flybe ceased operating daily services from Manston to Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester in March this year. The last carrier to base itself at Manston, Irish airline EUjet, ceased flying in 2005 - when Manston also went into liquidation before being bought by Infratil. Spanish charter carrier Futura Airlines and tour operator Seguro Travel, which also traded as Kent Escapes, operated from Manston until both ceased trading in September 2008.
At present the airport offers a weekly service to Jersey from May to September and a handful of summer charter flights. The KLM services to Schiphol are scheduled to depart Manston at 6:35am and 10:40am and return from Schiphol at 10:10am and 8:50pm.
FlightGlobal 14th Nov 2012
KLM's new feeder service from Manston airport to its Amsterdam Schiphol hub illustrates a growing trend of connecting traffic being funnelled outside the UK in lieu of spare capacity at London Heathrow airport. Manston in Kent, southeast England will become the 17th UK destination served by KLM on 2 April 2013, the airline announced this week. The route will be served twice daily by regional subsidiary KLM Cityhopper with 80-seater Fokker 70s.
Henri Hourcade, general manager for Air France-KLM in the UK, tells Flightglobal that he expects "about two-thirds" of passengers on the Manston-Schiphol route to be connecting traffic. Heathrow's widely publicised capacity constraints are motivating increasing numbers of people to connect via hubs on mainland Europe, he argues.
"Saturation [at Heathrow] makes air traffic control difficult and it causes delays, whereas Schiphol is unsaturated. Schiphol is an easy airport for connections, and UK travellers know that. It's English speaking and it's a one-terminal concept."
Manston airport chief executive Charles Buchanan agrees, saying EasyJet's decision to base aircraft at London Southend airport underscores the growing appeal of secondary bases.
"This is the start of people looking at diversifying their point of service. We've seen it at Southend and this is a similar move for Manston - a different type of service, but it's all part of the same picture."
Outlining the airport's expansion plans, Buchanan acknowledges that the withdrawal of UK regional carrier Flybe was a blow for Manston, but he says "regular dialogue" is continuing with a "whole range of airlines".
"We’re looking for organic, progressive growth to exploit the market south and east of London, rather than a big bang. We want to grow, consolidate, and grow again. This is a very important first step. The vote of confidence from KLM will catch people's attention. They will recognise what opportunities there are in serving those markets without having to go through the main airport."
Alongside its Cityhopper brand, KLM also has a presence at London City airport through its Irish subsidiary CityJet, which is undergoing a strategic review by parent Air France-KLM. Insisting the two subsidiaries fulfil separate functions, Hourcade says Cityhopper operates a "hub strategy" feeding Schiphol whereas CityJet combines a feeder service for Paris Charles de Gaulle airport with a secondary hub at London City.
Returning to the motivation for launching at Manston, he voices optimism about demand levels given the airport's densely populated catchment area.
"It's tough to reach the London airports from here. For long-haul at Heathrow people leave four hours before departure because of the traffic risk on the M25. But 400,000 people live less than half an hour from Manston airport. In the whole of Kent there are 1.6 million people less than one hour away. With quick access to a hassle-free airport, cheap parking, and good quality connections at Schiphol, we are confident of attracting customers."