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EUjet wins backing for flights after midnight
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to allow night
flights until 12.55am at Manston has been authorised by Thanet Council.
EUjet sought approval for the extension
to flying times In an attempt to secure its future.
It sent a letter late on Wednesday last week to the council expressing its
intention to begin the early-hours flight arrivals, which gave councillors just
one day to make a decision before EUjet announced its summer schedule to
destinations including IbIza, Malaga and Seville.
Despite the airport's 106 agreement only permitting flights from 7am to 11pm, or
European flights from 6am, councillors supported. the decision to give EUjet
"every possible chance to succeed".
Council leader Sandy Ezekiel said the full council would vote on the issue
in January but authorisatIon had already been given to allow EUjet to secure
time slots as part of Its summer package.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting last week deputy leader Cllr Bob Bayford said
airport owners PlaneStation had used their "usual tactic" of seeking
council involvement at the last minute.
He added: "It's like having a gun put to your head. I think It's an insult
to this authority that they don't involve us at the earliest stage."
Manston airport chairman Tony Freudmann said: "We very much regret that the
full six-month consultation period is being curtailed.
"We are the victim of the airline industry's slot allocations cycle. Slots
for summer schedules are allocated at an international conference in November.
The airlines' full scheduling exercise cannot be completed until this has
happened.
"In EUjet's case this process ended last week and we are therefore bringing
it to the council at the first opportunity."
Cllr Ezekiel defended the decision, saying the Fokker 100 planes operated by
EUjet would cause little disruption. He said: "The summer schedule will go
to full council and any member of the public can lobby their ward councillor,
but at the end of the day there's a few flights that will make little
difference.
"We have had a meeting with
members of PlaneStation and the main proposal is that they need to get the plane
back "here to go out the next day. They have to slot in with times that are
available at airports around the world.
"They are one of the quietest planes in the world and there are no outward-
bound flights, it's just arrivals.
"They will be coming in from the west over the farmland at St Nicholas,
unless there are really adverse weather conditions."
He insisted the public would be consulted on the new 106 agreement currently
being redrawn by council officials, which restricts night flying.
Cllr Ezekiel said EUjet, which is securing £30 million to stay afloat, was
still suffering from the September 11 terrorist attacks with people scared to
fly.
Cllr Bayford said in October that there were no plans to operate flights past
11pm and he assured the public they would be consulted.
"I would deny this has been done in an underhand way or behind closed
doors," he said.
'~t the time when we were asked about this there were no plans for night flying.
"The airline operator has asked
us if they can operate a handful of late flights for their summer schedule which
will help them establish their business.
"This doesn't mean we have abandoned the general principle of no night
flying."
He added: "It has always been accepted, by myself, there could be requests
for night flying if the airport was to become a freight hub which would be a
huge economic benefit for the area.
"The airport would have to come back with a night flying policy; "
On Monday he said his comments about airport owners PlaneStation "putting a
gun to your head" were "slightly uncharitable".
"They would have only known about the possible time changes after
discussions with other airports, and they work to fine deadlines to agree with
the time slots they have been offered," he said.
Cllr Ezekiel said he was confident people would not object to the night flights
but added "if people object why did they move under a flight path?":
"We are not talking about a Gatwick or Heathrow scenario," he said.
"What PlaneStation are trying to do is maximise the use of their
aircraft to get the benefit from their five planes.
"There are only so many flights they can make using their five-strong
fleet."
Canterbury City Council and Dover Council will be consulted for the new 106
agreement, which is expected to be put out for public consultation in the new
year.
Decision provokes
fury among I protestors
PROTESTERS against night
flights have reacted with fury to the latest developments. David Britton of
Manston Airport Group said Plane- Station "lied" about the intention
to operate night flights after 11pm. In a meeting in October 2001 the director
of corporate affairs of Manston airport Paul Tipple said Wiggins (former name of
PlaneStation) had "no plans to introduce night flying".
"Look how they lied to us," Mr Britton said.
Manston resident Penny Barton said she was disgusted that the extra night
flights had not be put out for consultation. She said: "If there's flights
arriving until 12.55am and restarting at 6am when exactly are people going to
sleep?"
Coach firm halts service
at Manston
A COACH service between Manston airport
and Bluewater has stopped because there are not enough passengers.
Kings Ferry Travel Group ran a fleet of coaches to and from the airport,
stopping in Whitstable, Canterbury, Medway and at the shopping centre at
Dartford.
The pilot service, operated under the name Aeroshuttle, was not making enough
money and stopped on Wednesday.
Managing director Steve O'Neill said it may restart if the airport gets busier
next year.
Most of the 10 employees took up an offer of working on one of the firm's other
routes.
Two got jobs elsewhere at the airport.
Mr O'Neill said: "Due to the low numbers that are going through the airport
we found the situation was unsustainable for us."
A chauffeur car service is still operating from the air- port but is for booked
journeys only.
The decision to pull out does not affect an agreement to take corporate parties
to enjoy helicopter trips with Helicharter, also at Manston.
The coach firm is based in Gillingham.
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