Airport News

Airport News
Blackpool International Airport says if an agreement with a buyer cannot be reached by October 7, 2014 which "ensures the viability of its operations" then it is likely that airport operations will close.

The news comes after on August 28, 2014, the gateway announced its intention to find a buyer for the airport operating company.

The regional airport's operations have been making a loss for a number of years and it said last month it was exploring a number of options in an attempt to secure the future of the gateway.

Airlines operating flights include Jet2.com, Sotbart Air and Citywing, and a statement from the airport today adds: "In this event, we expect that the last commercial flights will take place on Wednesday, October 15 2014.

"We apologise for the uncertainty this will cause over the coming weeks and we recommend that any affected passengers contact their airline to confirm travel arrangements."

The owner Balfour Beatty, purchased it in 2008, but the infrastructure firm says its strategy has changed and it wants to end its involvement in running regional airports.

There are about 110 staff employed at Blackpool International Airport, which last year, handled 262,000 passengers, an 11.9% rise of 27,000 on 2012, but still below its peak of more than 500,000 in 2007.