Brazier champions Manston Airport
on Regional Airports to highlight the importance of Manston Airport’s contribution
to the local economy.
"My local regional airport, of which I am extremely proud, is Kent International
at Manston. Its current infrastructure includes one of the longest runways in
the country. It is suitable for code E aircraft such as Boeing 747-400s and is
also capable of hosting code F aircraft such as the A380. Sadly, it is massively
underused. However, the forthcoming enhancement of the rail service between
London and Ramsgate means that travel times will drop from two hours to barely
80 minutes, with the trains passing the bottom of the runway. The medium-term
aim is to cater for 500,000 tonnes of freight and 6 million passengers a year,
which will potentially provide 7,500 jobs. Even partial success would make the
airport a substantial driver of economic growth in east Kent, which is one of
the poorer areas of the country."(Hansard: 17 Jun 2009, Column 90WH)
crisis that we support local drivers of economic growth. Manston is key in supporting
the East Kent economy."