RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP), an investment firm, has been planning to reopen abandoned Kent Airport after 12 years. The last scheduled flight left from the airport in 2014.
Abandoned Kent Airport
There is an airport in Kent, named Manston Airport, near Ramsgate. It has been closed since 2014. After 12 long years, steps have been taken to reopen the abandoned airport.
RSP bought the airport site seven years ago and announced plans to refurbish the airport into an air freight hub.
The site got a Development Consent Order (DCO) in 2020 to approve the reopening plans. Now, a public consultation is set to launch as the next step in this airport transformation process.
According to RSP,
“Once reopened, Manston will help the UK trade across the globe, importing vital and time-sensitive goods, including fresh fruit and medical supplies, providing air freight operators with a realistic alternative to the overcrowded London airports.”
They also said that the proposed changes to flight paths and airspace structure will be presented to residents, communities, and wider stakeholders.
Public consultation
The consultations will be happening in the community events from March 16 to June 22 to detail the proposed flight paths and airport usage.
Director of RiverOak Strategic Partners, Tony Freudmann, said,
“This consultation is an important step in our ambitions to reopen Manston Airport, representing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver new runway capacity to support the UK air cargo market and to transform the economic landscape in East Kent.
“We know Manston holds a special place in the area’s history; we would encourage people to find out more about our proposal and provide any feedback they might have to help shape our plans.”
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will publish information on March 16 about the plans and information on flight paths and detailed maps. This information will give local residents a chance to express their opinion on plans before moving to the next stage.
If the plan gets a nod from the public, then RSP plans to refurbish the airport into an air freight hub and reopen it by 2029.
How excited are you to have an air freight hub in the Southern U.K.?
