Plan revealed to dismantle planes at Durham Tees Valley Airport
Durham Tees Valley Airport is set to become a centre for the storage and dismantling of unused planes, and recycling parts. Sycamore Aviation has set up its base at the struggling airport and has already begun work on taking apart a number of airliners. The airport has a long runway, enabling it to handle larger planes, and plenty of hangar space. There are apparently “huge numbers” of aircraft retiring across Europe. A Sycamore Aviation spokesman said one airline alone is likely to need to dispose of 20 jumbo jets and 20 Boeing 737 aircraft in the next 3 -4 years – an illustration of the potential scale of demand. They say that across Europe between 500 to 700 aircraft a year need to be decommissioned and currently there are just not enough facilities to meet the demand. The number of passengers using Durham Tees Valley airport has fallen steadily from around 912,000 in 2006 to 165,000 in 2012.
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Plan revealed to dismantle planes at Durham Tees Valley Airport
(Evening Gazette) Feb 19 2013
DURHAM Tees Valley Airport is set to become a centre for the storage and dismantling of unused aeroplanes, it was announced this afternoon.
Sycamore Aviation has set up its base at the struggling airport and has already begun work on taking apart a number of airliners.
The airport was pinpointed after by the firm because of its ability to handle any kind of aircraft. It is equipped with a long runway, enabling it to handle larger planes.
Spokesman Kevin O’Hare said that, having worked as pilot for many years – much of it flying out of the North-east, including Durham Tees Valley – he had wanted to set up the business because of the “huge numbers” of aircraft which are retiring across Europe.
He wanted to develop facilities where aircraft can be decommissioned in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way – while recycling as much as possible.
“I looked at virtually every airport and airfield across the country when developing my plans and came to the conclusion that Durham Tees Valley offered the best potential, including its ability to handle any kind of aircraft and the hangar space required,” he said.
“We have worked very closely with the airport and the statutory agencies in setting up the operation, which we believe can be real winner for ourselves and the airport.”
Mr O’Hare said one major carrier alone is likely to need to dispose of 20 jumbo jets and 20 Boeing 737 aircraft in the next three to four years – an illustration of the potential scale of demand.
“It’s been estimated that across Europe between 500 to 700 aircraft a year need to be decommissioned and currently there are just not enough facilities to meet the demand,” he added.
The company has taken over a 45,000 sq ft hangar at the airport where a team of experienced aircraft engineers are able to decommission aircraft and recover many high value spares which are wanted by clients across the world.
“Aircraft are expensive pieces of equipment and the value of recycled and recertificated spares can run into literally millions of pounds,” said Mr O’Hare.
” We can recover around a thousand different parts from an aircraft and the history of them can be traced back to the day they were first fitted.
“In addition we are working with local universities on the potential for developing new ‘green’ methods for recycling items such as interior fittings.”
The target for the first year is to handle an average of one aircraft a month. The business hopes to offer maintenance and storage facilities.
Airport commercial director Andy Foulds said: “This is good news for the airport and, we believe the local area as a whole, exploiting the potential of the facilities we can offer at the same time as establishing a high-value and expanding new industry.
“We believe that one of the keys to securing the future of the airport is making full use of the business opportunities for the whole site and this development is, we hope, a pointer to attracting other companies who are involved in all aspects of the air transport industry.”
In December, Mr Foulds told the Gazette that there was more to the future of the airport- which has had a well-publicised reduction in tourist destinations in recent years – than simply passenger numbers.
The number of passengers using Durham Tees Valley airport has fallen massively over recent years: (CAA data)
2004 795,000
2005 902,000
2006 912,000
2007 735,000
2008 647,000
2009 288,000
2010 225,000
2011 190,000
2012 165,000
Some recent news about Durham Tees Valley Airport:
Bosses at Durham Tees Valley Airport express “acute disappointment” at bid failure
19.10.2012 AIRPORT bosses expressed their “acute disappointment” at the Government’s decision to reject a bid for regeneration cash. However, Durham they said they remained committed to the Southside freight terminal development – despite the failure of the £5.9m Regional Growth Fund (RGF) application. DTVA chairman Robert Hough said the company would be demanding an explanation from ministers after the RGF bid was turned down. “It was hoped the £5.9m scheme, which would take ten years to complete and create up to 1,500 jobs, could breathe new life into the airport, which was close to going out of business last year amid falling passenger numbers.” Click here to view full story …
Government orders research into regional rate for air passenger duty
June 20, 2012 Chloe Smith, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, has said – at a meeting with the Sedgefield MP and Newcastle airport and Durham Tees Valley airport – that the Government has commissioned research into varying APD on a regional basis. The research, planned to be published this summer, will consider the potential impact of a regional APD rate as well as devolving the power to set the tax north of the border to the Scottish Government. There has been a campaign in the region, by the Journal newspaper, to get APD changed, claiming it has adverse economic consequences. Newcastle Airport wants APD to be charged at a higher rate at the biggest, most congested airports (south east), and a lower rate from uncongested regional airports. Click here to view full story…
Durham Tees Valley airport applying to Regional Growth Fund for freight distribution centre
May 26, 2012 An expansion plan is being drawn up for loss-making Durham Tees Valley Airport and will be handed to the Government within weeks. The airport is preparing a bid to the regional growth fund to develop a 250-acre south side of the airport, for freight services/distribution (does not say whether any air freight is included). The application will include a new internal road, installing gas, electricity and drainage connection, and perhaps new buildings. Peel Holdings Ltd, the airport’s owner (owns 80%), has to submit the bid to the £1bn fund by the deadline of June 13th. There has been an 80% fall in the number of passengers since 2006, from 912,000 down to 190,000 in 2011. The focus on freight confirms the expectation the airport will find it difficult to increase passenger numbers. However, their airport’s air freight tonnage has plummeted to almost nothing in the past two years Click here to view full story…
Durham Tees Valley campaign to ship travellers over to Amsterdam for connections
5.5.2012 Durham Tees Valley airport is running a publicity campaign with KLM, to let people know “The World’s on Your Doorstep”. The local authority, Hartlepool Borough Council is also backing it. The aim is to promote the KLM flights (3 per day) to Amsterdam, and then all the other destinations that can be reached from Amsterdam. The Air France/KLM group operates flights from 14 cities in the UK to their hubs in Paris and Amsterdam. There are flights each day to Heathrow from Newcastle airport, which is only about 35 miles from Durham Tees Valley airport. http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/airport-campaign-1-4518265