Unknown airport operator company ‘very interested’ in talks with Tees Valley Mayor about running Durham Tees Valley

In a key election pledge of the Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, to take an airport into public ownership is now another step closer to becoming reality. Mr Houchen said a confidential agreement is in place with a private “well-known established airport operator” which is “very interested” in running Durham Tees Valley Airport. There have been discussions with the current majority owner of the airport, Peel, that have progressed so far that a “non-disclosure agreement” has been signed, indicating that negotiations have reached a detailed and delicate stage.  Mr Houchen said: “It is all in the balance at the moment – we are making some really serious progress with Peel, and the significance of that and signing the non-disclosable agreement shows we are in an advanced stage of talks. … we have to make sure we have an experienced well-established airport operator to actually run it, and we do have that confidentially agreement in place with a well-established private sector operator who is very interested in coming along on the journey with us to make sure Teesside Airport is what we all think it should be.”
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‘Very interested’ airport operator in talks with Ben Houchen over running Durham Tees Valley

11th May

(Northern Echo)

In a key election pledge of the Tees Valley Mayor to take an airport into public ownership is now another step closer to becoming reality.

Ben Houchen has revealed that a confidential agreement is in place with a private “well-known established airport operator” which is “very interested” in running Durham Tees Valley Airport.

The announcement comes just 24 hours after The Northern Echo exclusively revealed that discussions with the current majority owner of the airport, Peel, have progressed so far that a “non-disclosure agreement” has been signed, indicating that negotiations have reached a detailed and delicate stage.

Mr Houchen made the announcement during a speech at logistics firm AV Dawson in Middlesbrough yesterday, where he was discussing the achievements of his first 12 months in office, and outlining his plans for the future.

Speaking to The Northern Echo about the future of the airport, Mr Houchen said:”It is all in the balance at the moment – we are making some really serious progress with Peel, and the significance of that and signing the non-disclosable agreement shows we are in an advanced stage of talks.

“But we can’t just rely on the deal with Peel – we have to make sure we have an experienced well-established airport operator to actually run it, and we do have that confidentially agreement in place with a well-established private sector operator who is very interested in coming along on the journey with us to make sure Teesside Airport is what we all think it should be.”

Taking Durham Tees Valley Airport back in to public ownership was the headline grabbing announcement of Mr Houchen’s election campaign last year, and he realises it was one of the main reasons why he was elected.

“Everyone knows I was elected on the basis of fulfilling this pledge, and I personally believe that I, and with the right team, we can turn around that airport and make it the success we know it can be.

“We need to take control of it, and going forward we need to establish a sensible airline operator to make sure we can run a sensible airport.

“”We want to see more flights, more connectivity, but on the business side, freight and logistics hope to play an important role, so it is important for so many different things.

“It needs to be a well rounded airport, we want to see some more holiday flights obviously, that’s what people want to see and feel on a day to day basis, but from a business perspective, we’ve got to use the airport as a logistics hub and make sure we have that connectivity.”

Mr Houchen also revealed plans to visit Thailand for talks to secure the former SSI steelworks site, spend £25m of central government on revamping Darlington’s Bank Top Station, and launch a £3m careers initiative to join the area#s 57 secondary schools with local businesses.

Speaking about his first year in office, Mr Houchen said: “It has been extremely tiring, there has been a lot of hard work, but it has gone past in the flash of an eye.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, and there are so many good things going on.

“These are big projects and they will take time, but I urge people to keep the faith and they will be transformational for the Tees Valley.”

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/16221026.__39_Very_interested__39__airport_operator_in_talks_with_Mayor_over_running_Durham_Tees_Valley/?ref=rss

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£1m Durham Tees Valley Airport deal to bring in new flights

The money is being offered to help strengthen ties with airlines:: It is hoped the move will see more flights being added

By Alex Metcalfe, Local Democracy Reporter
11 MAY 2018

A £1m deal sweetener to attract airlines to Durham Tees Valley Airport has been recommended for approval.

Dubbed the “Air Connectivity Facility”, the deal requires airlines bid for a seven figure sum in return for strengthening ties with the beleaguered airport.

The money would be paid out by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) over three years, if the plan is given the green light on Monday.

A meeting of the TCVA discussed the possibility of a deal in February with public money earmarked to help reduce the risks for airlines looking to branch out.

And the importance of flights to Schipol Airport, near Amsterdam, from the airport were stressed in March.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen backed the deal.

He said: “The facility is designed to support airlines and route operators looking to fly from our airport.

“This is a necessary step to support airlines in the short term, but it will also be a key part of my longer-term plan if we get hold of the airport.”

Passenger numbers fell at the airport from 140,902 people in 2015 to 132,369 in 2016.

However, if the deal is passed and works – with passenger numbers breaching 200,000 – the deal would be revised.

A report on the £1m fund proposal pointed out the airport’s perilous predicament with the continuing decline of the airport labelled a “significant risk” to the region’s economy.

Authority members set aside £500,000 in this year’s budget to try and open up routes to the airport.

If this fresh deal is rubber stamped, the airline deal would use this money plus another £500,000 from the TCVA coffers to attract airlines until 2021.

Priority would be given to flight operators from European hub airports.

Members will vote on the proposal behind closed doors at a special meeting next week before discussing separate arrangements over the future of the airfield.

The office of the mayor stressed “not one penny” of the £1m would go to Peel group which owns 89% of the airport.

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/1m-durham-tees-valley-airport-14647506

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