Yikes! Pootling around the interwhatsit just now, I noticed a recent and rather gloomy discussion about the future of RAF London Kent Ramsgate Manston International Airport on something called the Professional Pilots Rumour Network. Here's a taster:
And I keep hearing about investment in the airfield. Personally, I would draw a distinction between investment and spending money on repairs and maintenance. The radar was stuffed. It had to be fixed. That's not investment. It's just running costs. Real money will have to be spent on sorting out the airfield's drainage and fuel tanks. Again. this is money down the drain (pardon the pun). These things don't increase your revenue stream (like a new terminal). They just allow you to keep going.
I think Infratil have some tough decisions to make. The airfield needs investment, millions of pounds. If they're as hard-headed as everyone says, I think they'll, want to see concrete evidence that they will get a return on their investment. The odd flight, now and then, doesn't really constitute hard evidence.
The fly boys then go on to discuss the proposed new airport at Lydd as being a more viable option than our facility. So, what's the betting that my investment banking chum's windfarm-cum-housing estate plan comes to fruitation (as Kevin Keegan once put it) after all?
Typical, isn't it? You spend millions on a cliff top mansion close to an airport where you can park your Lear jet, only to find the wings have come off a couple of years later!
15 comments:
What about the site for a maximum security or open prison? One way in, one way out.Surrounded by sea. Lots of land. The government needs more places.
Good idea. We don't need an airport here anyway. Once Lydd takes off it won't be far to travel for international flights anyway.
i thought we had one at clifftonville
Are you mad? Manston has a key role to play in Thanet's economy and thankfully the Tories have pledged to stick with it, so it's there for another four years at least.
Infratil have promised investment, there are flights to Europe starting again, and freight is booming. So let's get behind Manston because a thriving Manston means a thriving Thanet.
Absolutly agree ron.
Anonymous said...
Good idea. We don't need an airport here anyway. Once Lydd takes off it won't be far to travel for international flights anyway.
11:12 AM
And that attitude is exactly why Thanet has been going down the pan for years, every time someone wants to invest here the Little Thanetians start moaning and groaning and placing obstacles in their way, and if anyone in their right mind actually thinks that Lydd is going to become an International Airport they should be locked up in Anon 10.19's high security prison.
Manston is far better placed than lydd, and for all those moaning ramsgitonians tough get used to the idea.
We all know how you bought a cheap Mansion on the cliffs there Eastcliff, on the hope that the airport would close.
I think you'll just have to learn to live with tyre marks on your roof from freight planes.
But that's the point. Thanet has a lot going for it in terms of natural beauty and leisure activities so the last thing we should be doing is subsidising a loss-making, polluting airport.
If the Tories really do want us to believe they've gone green, and if they're going to continue with their Thanet is beautiful campaign, then what they should really be doing is pulling the plug on this nonsense of having a international airport on our doorstep. It's never going to be a success but at the moment by paying lip service to it it's saying it could be and that puts a lot of people who may want to settle or holiday here off and those people would contribute a lot more to our local economy than some tatty old airport ever will.
That was addressed to anon 6.49pm
anon 7.27
Tony old sausage, I'm not agin the airport, I'm merely relaying what the pilots have been saying. I know you're hanging out for cheap flights to the US so you can sate your appetite for burgers with everything, and good luck to you!
Another Sunday ruined by a bloody jumbo flying over Ramsgate every 5 minutes.
Those people think that because the airport's been there since 1916 it should always be there are akin to those who argued against the abolition of slavery because it had always been there. World War 1 is over guys, this airport would never get planning permission today. The planet is overheating, Manston pollutes and despoils the environment and serves no useful purpose in the 21st century.
Anon 1:21 I feel that a 747 is a thing of beauty and you should consider yourself lucky to have these circle over ramsgate.
It certainly is a thing of beauty, Tony, especially when you're flying 1st class!
it won't happen here
the only people that could afford it are tory councillors
and as soon as that happens
they will take the money and run
leaving us to pick up the bill
They'd better not close Manston before September as I'm flying to Italy from here then! But today I think there's a Spitfire visiting so enjoy it while you can.
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