The case for Kent International Airport

Kent International Airport at Manston should be part of the solution to the shortage of airport capacity, not an airport on the Thames Estuary as suggested by Boris Johnson, said Paul Carter, the Leader of Kent County Council.

Mr Carter has invited Boris Johnson to Kent so that he can see for himself the potential of Manston airport, which has one of the few long-haul runways in the UK and even without expansion currently has the capacity for 700,000 passengers a year.

Paul Carter said:

"Just one million passengers through Manston would create between 1,500 to 2,000 much-valued jobs in an area which has some of the highest deprivation in the country.

"The extension of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) domestic services in 2009 is going to bring enormous benefits to Kent, bringing Thanet closer to London and delivering journeys times similar to those from London to Stansted.

"Manston provides enormous opportunities for aviation technology and services and support of the aviation industry now that Farnborough is oversubscribed.

"An airport on the Thames Estuary is never going to be viable or popular. But we don't need it when we have a perfectly positioned, ready-for-action, airport in Manston.

"I look forward to welcoming Boris to Kent to see what Kent has already on offer."

Matt Clarke, the Chief Executive of Kent International Airport at Manston, has welcomed the County Leader's calls for the airport to be better utilised.

He said:

"Kent International is a significant piece of aviation infrastructure. We are one of the few airports in the UK with a long-haul capable runway and we already host daily Boeing 747 freight services at Manston.

"We have the capacity to soak up some of the south east's excess demand for runway capacity. Using facilities that already exist makes much more sense than building a new airport."

Source: Kent County Council