Biggin Hill Airport withdraws plans for scheduled passenger services

The airport has backed down from plans to operate a mainline scheduled passenger
service from the site.  The managing director said the plans were abandoned because
airlines usually want to operate from where they already have a base. Biggin Hill
would continue to concentrate on the executive air travel business. They want
air taxi services which would be very small aircraft allowing passengers to pay
for their seats, rather than the whole aircraft.




Biggin Hill airport withdraws its expansion plans

by Marina Soteriou

25.10.2011 (Bromley Times)

Biggin Hill airport bosses have backed down from plans to operate a mainline
scheduled passenger service from the site.

Managing Director of the airport Jenny Munro announced the u-turn on Tuesday
(25) after it made its submission to the Department for Transport consultation
on the future UK airport policy, on the same day (25).

Ms Munro said the airport’s expansion plans which were drawn up in 2005, were
abandoned because airlines usually want to operate from where they already have
a base.

She said: “The airlines generally want to operate to and from airports where
they already have operational bases. There is still some space for them to grow
at London’s mainline airports, if capacity is used wisely.

“It is our recommendation that Biggin Hill should therefore build on its successful
and now well-established position as London’s Executive Airport, serving the business,
executive and general aviation needs of the capital and the local community.”

This comes after the airport’s bid to extend its opening times during London
2012 Olympic Games were rejected by Bromley Council in August. The airport is
currently used by executive jets, regional airliners and helicopters.

Ms Munro added: “London needs to be readily available for international business
leaders to reach us easily, equally for our business and industrial pathfinders
to efficiently interact with new and existing markets abroad. “Regardless of the
ultimate solution, there will be no significant increase in capacity in the London
area for 10 to 15 years at best. We must therefore be sure that wise use is made
of the runway and airspace capacity that we already have, in order to protect
London’s competitive position for as long as possible. Biggin Hill Airport’s role
within that is to continue in its proven and successful niche as the only specialist
Executive Airport in London, consistently offering flexibility, service, speed
and efficiency to our customers.”

http://www.bromleytimes.co.uk/bromley-life/organisations/biggin_hill_airport_withdraws_its_expansion_plans_1_1108576

 

 

and

 

Biggin Hill Airport withdraws flight plans

26.10.2011 (BBC)

Biggin Hill Airport has withdrawn its proposals to allow scheduled passenger
services.

The airport said that most airlines wanted to operate from airports where they
already had operational bases.

In a statement, the airport said there was still space for airlines to grow at
London’s mainline airports if capacity was used wisely.

Biggin Hill said it would, instead, continue to concentrate on the executive
air travel business.

Jenny Munro, the airport’s managing director, said: “We are in favour of air
taxi services which would, by definition, be very small aircraft which would allow
passengers to pay for their seats, rather than the whole aircraft.”

She said that air taxi services would allow the booking of empty seats on private
flights and was already available in the USA.

“Scheduled commercial aviation is not what we do. It brings us totally into line
with what people locally are looking for from Biggin Hill.”

In August, Bromley Council, the airport’s owner, rejected plans to extend the
opening hours of Biggin Hill for the London Olympics.

A public consultation received 1,741 responses, of which 1,046 were against the
increased operating hours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-15457916

 

Related BBC stories:

Related Stories

More information and older news on Biggin Hill Airport at Biggin Hill

 

Biggin Hill airport’s 2012 Olympics expansion plans rejected

10th August 2011     A request to extend the opening hours of Biggin Hill airport for the London Olympics
has been rejected. Airport owner Bromley Council said it had sufficient capacity
for the demand for flights (from 07.30 to 21.00 BST) during the 2012 Games. Biggin
Hill Airport Limited wanted to run a number of day-return services. A public consultation
on the request received 1,741 responses, of which 1,046 were against the increased
operating hours.     Click here to view full story…

New Biggin Hill Airport Consultation on extending operating hours during the
Olympics

28th June 2011    A 2nd consultation is now under way following the new Biggin Hill Airport Limited
request to vary their lease during Olympic Games period. It ends on 29th July. 
The earlier application was rejected by Bromley Council in March. The scope of
the request has been reduced somewhat. Bromley FoEsaid it was deeply disappointing
that the airport has resubmitted its application which will cause anxiety among
the thousands   living under the flightpath.
  Click here to view full story…


 
 
Biggin Hill Airport Olympic proposals rejected by Bromley Council

24th March 2011      Councillors have thrown out an application from Biggin Hill to extend operating
hours for the Olympics. The airport had requested permission from its landlord
Bromley Council to change the lease so it could open from 6.30am to 11pm each
day from July 13 to Sept 23 in 2012.  Its current opening hours are 6.30am and
10pm in the week and 9am to 8pm at weekends.  The airport also wanted a relaxation
of the ban on fare-paying passengers.     
Click here to view full story…


 
 
 
Jo Johnson MP opposes Biggin Hill airport plans

17th February 2011    Jo has said he is “strongly opposed” to the airport’s plans to seek changes to
its Lease, and has said so in his submission to the consultation.  He feels running
scheduled services and carrying individual fare paying passengers requires the
explicit permission of Bromley Council, as landlord. If these restrictions are
lifted, even if temporarily for the Olympics, the Council risks undermining a
key point of principle and getting larger, noisier planes.    Click here to view full story…

 

Residents unhappy over Biggin Hill Airport 2012 flights consultation

30.1.11     Residents have criticised a Council leader for failing to address their fears
about new early-morning and late-night flights over the borough, the Bromley Times
reports. Biggin Hill Airport has applied to Bromley Council, which owns the airport
freehold, to allow aircraft activity as early as 06:30 and as late as 23:00, seven
days a week for a 10-week period during the Olympic and Paralympic games in summer
2012. Charter flight operators would also be able to charge per passenger during
this period.   
Although council leader Stephen Carr has announced an extension of a public consultation
period over the decision until February 18, action group Bromley Residents Against
Airport Development (BRAAD), which opposes the proposals, says that not enough
has been done to gauge public opinion.  UK Airport News  link