Holiday-loving LondonersI come bearing some information that will be right up your street runway. An airport that’s been derelict for over a decade could be making the ultimate comeback, as plans to give Manston Airport in Kent a whole new lease of life are officially preparing for take-off.
Not too far from hip-and-happening Margate; this abandoned airport hasn’t been used for passenger flights since its the final place left is runway, heading to Amsterdam on April 9, 2014. Since then, it’s only really been used as a (rather uninspiring) lorry park. But all that is about to change.
The history of Manston Airport
Having set up shop in 1916, Manston Airport originally operated as a take-off and landing spot for the Royal Air Force during both World Wars. It wasn’t until the 1960s that it became an actual airport, offering passenger flights to resorts in Mallorca and Yugoslavia.
In the eighties, the airport was renamed Kent International Airport at a fancy ribbon-cutting ceremony. And by the early 2000s, there were plans in the pipeline to turn the aviation hub into a budget airline hotspot, offering planes to the likes of Amsterdam, Verona, Porto, and Naples. Unfortunately (much like my own early-noughties hopes and dreams), those plans never quite made it off the runway – and due to constant loses, the airport closed in 2014.
The future of Manston Airport
So, now we’re all caught up, it’s time to look to the future. And it’s looking pretty darn bright for Manston Airport. Having been snapped up by RiverOak Strategic Partners back in 2019 for an eye-watering £16.5 million; the airport is now undergoing a rather mighty makeover in the hopes of reopening in 2028. Despite set to initially only focus on cargo operations; if all goes to plan in the cargo department, Manston Airport plan to introduce passenger flights further down the line. And the airport has supposedly been in talks with the low-cost likes of Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Airand could offer budget-friendly flights to popular European destinations including Spain, Cyprus and Malta.
The refurbishment is set to cost a whopping £500 millionand will see shiny new terminals being built and runways upgraded. Apparently renovating an entire airport isn’t a particularly speedy process, though, and lots of preparation and planning will need to take place before the airport is back up and running. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and all that…
You can read more about RiverOak Strategic Partners’ plans to renovate and reopen the airport here.
