Abandoned UK airport will reopen its doors after a decade in £500m revamp – and could offer Ryanair & easyJet flights
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A UK airport is set to re-open its doors after being closed for over a decade.
The location will undergo an impressive £500 million renovation, including a complete runway resurfacing.
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Manston Airport in Kent is set to re-open after a major revamp in the coming years
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Manston Airport in Kent is schedule for major renovation work in 2027.
The airport, which is located less than a two hour drive from central London, officially closed its doors in April, 2024.
With the re-opening, those located in the southeast of England-dwellers will no longer have to trek to the crowded terminals of London's airports.
Renovation plans
However, they may have to wait a little longer as passenger flights aren't expected to operate until 2029.
Meanwhile, cargo transport is scheduled to resume in late 2028 upon completion of the works.
The project includes construction of cargo infrastructure and runway resurfacing.
RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP), which is overseeing the work, said that it will initially focus on making the airport fit for cargo planes.
The potential to expand into the consumer market will depend on the location's success.
Manston Airport operated on an average loss of £10,000 a day in the lead up to its closure.
Now, the staggering £500 million project hopes to get things back in line with modern safety standards.
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A certain number of passenger planes would need to be based there to turn a profit, according to officials.
The RSP has been in talks with budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet about the possibility of short-haul flights to Europe being reintroduced to Manston, according to Kent Online.
"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," said a representative from the company.
They named the Netherlands, Spain, and Malta among the possible destinations.
However, the re-opening of the airport has received mixed reactions in the area.
Top 15 busiest airports in the UK
Here are the 15 busiest airports in the UK by passenger numbers in 2023 London Heathrow - 79.2 million London Gatwick - 40.9 million Manchester - 28.1 million London Stansted - 28.0 million London Luton - 16.4 million Edinburgh - 14.4 million Birmingham - 11.5 million Bristol - 9.9 million Glasgow - 7.4 million Belfast International - 6.0 million Newcastle - 4.8 million Liverpool - 4.2 million Leeds Bradford - 4.0 million East Midlands - 3.9 million London City - 3.4 million
A campaign group called Don't Save Manston Airport was set up when the renovation was first announced.
According to the group, the town doesn't need an airport and promising one is simply giving "false hope".
Despite the local frustrations, the ambitious project is officially going ahead.
"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," said the RSP in January.
"And so it will be many months before we are ready to welcome construction teams on site.
"Our professional teams are working hard. It's just work that can't be seen if you drive down Hengist Way."
The update indicated that no construction would be taking place until 2027 at the earliest.
It added that "in early 2028, we expect construction works to be complete and recruitment for operational roles to begin".
The goal is to open the airport by the end of 2028.
Use during closure
Manston Airport sits in easternmost Kent near Margate and has a storied history.
The hub was built in 1916 as an RAF base and went on to operate as a commercial terminal for more than a century.
Since the 2014 closure, this has served as everything from an overflow car park for the nearby ferry port to a venue for aviation events, including a "last hurrah" before construction work begins.
It was even used as a set for the 2022 film Empire of Light.
More on airports
The world's best airport has officially been named, and you can fly to it directly from the UK.
And more than half of Britain's busiest airports have hiked "kiss and fly" parking charges.
But don't worry because we have all the tips to avoid surging drop-off charges this summer.
Meanwhile, two UK airports have scrapped the 100 mililitre liquid rule.
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