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Southend Airport will not expand into cargo business, says boss (From Southend Standard)
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Southend Airport will not expand into cargo business, says boss
8:00am Thursday 7th May 2009
THE man in charge of Southend Airport has dismissed claims its expansion will lead to more cargo plane flights.
Airport managing director Alastair Welch waved away concerns raised by logistics expert Giles Markwell.
Mr Markwell, from Chalkwell, said the Stobart Group, which bought the airport for £21million late last year, would use it to improve its air freight facilities.
Mr Markwell, who said he had been in logistics and shipping for 40 years, said: “Almost certainly the airport acquisition is to enable Stobart to add a locally-based air freight facility to the provision of railfreight, warehousing and road distribution it intends to provide for importers using the London Gateway port at Coryton.”
He said air freight was mainly handled at night when road transfers would not clash with rush-hour traffic.
He added “All-night air freight flights using ageing aircraft retired from passeneger service would not play well with the Southend area public.”
In December the Stobart Group, which run Eddie Stobart lorries, said it would look at attracting other airlines to provide passenger flights.
But chief executive, Andrew Tinkler, said it would also consider extending the runway which could lead to more cargo flights.
However, Mr Welch said despite Southend playing a niche role in specialist cargos, it would not become the main activity at the airport.
He said: “We anticipate this will continue to play a small, but important part of the airport’s activities.
“The vast majority of air freight is imported in wide-bodied big load aircraft which Southend has never been able to handle.
“This situation would not change in any way even if the runway were extended and we do not anticipate it doing so at any time.”
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Your Say Your Southend
BASILBRUSH, Westcliff-on-sea says...
8:40am Thu 7 May 09
More scaremongering based on assumptions and mis-information. Lets get on and allow the small extension to the runway, and get the flights and jobs we all know people want and will use.
Yesterday an article was reporting on the hard times in the high street. Bring on the expansion and the investment it will bring to the area for the future.
The Voice of Reason, Southend says...
8:42am Thu 7 May 09
Norfolk wrote:post of the week - i couldn't have put it any better
Mr Markwell may well know a lot about 'logistics and shipping', but he obviously knows nothing about the way the airfreight industry works these days. Niche freight is what the airport does now and it will remain that way as it will never have a runway long enough (nor wide enough for that matter)to allow 'mainstream' freight operations. Stobarts bought the airport in order to diversify into passenger flights, so as not to have all their eggs in one basket as a haulage business. Perhaps this red herring so beloved of the SAEN fantasists can be finally put to rest and the benefits of the runway extension, both in terms of the passenger flight opportunities it would offer and the genuine reductions in potential night noise nuisance that it will ensure, can be focused upon and supported.
TVoR
nigeltheduck, Southend says...
9:17am Thu 7 May 09
DannyK86, Leigh says...
9:26am Thu 7 May 09
Nebs, Westcliff-on-Sea says...
10:16am Thu 7 May 09
Of which company is Andrew Tinler the Chief Executive. He thinks there could be more cargo flights. Is he Stobart, the airport, or the anti-expansion?
The council have to grant planning permission so can they simply, as a condition of the permission, cap the number of night flights at the current number. That would seem to suit everyone, as SAEN don't want extra and Stobart say they don't need extra.
JfrR, Rochford says...
12:21pm Thu 7 May 09
Every time there is ever anything about Southend Airport posted, especially if it's derogatory, you have exactly the same users post almost immediately with facts and figures about how everything that's reported is wrong.
Makes you almost suspicious they have some financial or political incentive for the expansion to happen doesn't it.
Keep an eye out for the same names in future airport news entries, it's funny.
Norfolk, Rochford says...
1:30pm Thu 7 May 09
JfrR wrote:Well, JfrR you will have noticed that I often contribute to airport news stories and I'll tell you why.
It does make me laugh. Every time there is ever anything about Southend Airport posted, especially if it's derogatory, you have exactly the same users post almost immediately with facts and figures about how everything that's reported is wrong. Makes you almost suspicious they have some financial or political incentive for the expansion to happen doesn't it. Keep an eye out for the same names in future airport news entries, it's funny.
I was involved in the aviation industry until I retired, in both passenger and freight operations so I know the facts as to what is feasible and what is not. I know it hurts some people to actually have the facts put in front of them, rather than the misinformation and distortions that so often form the basis of these Echo stories. I just try to redress the balance - that is all. I have no personal employment or business interests in the airport, nor in any other aviation activity for that matter as I am happily retired. My elderly mother lives just 200 yards from the new station and there is no way that I would be supporting the airport's development if I believed she would be adversely affected. That is how sure I am that this talk of horrific daytime noise and night flights is just scaremongering. One thing that SAEN never mention is that at present Stobarts could operate 30 night flights daily, while the JAAP proposal specifically states that strict night time restrictions will be placed upon both the types of aircraft that can be used and the number of night flights as a condition of planning approval for the small runway extension. Would they really prefer, instead, there to be the potential for 30 flights a night with noisy aircraft into the future which the Council could do nothing to prevent? Apparently they would.
The Voice of Reason, Southend says...
1:48pm Thu 7 May 09
JfrR wrote:'Keep an eye out for the same names in future airport news entries, it's funny.'
It does make me laugh. Every time there is ever anything about Southend Airport posted, especially if it's derogatory, you have exactly the same users post almost immediately with facts and figures about how everything that's reported is wrong. Makes you almost suspicious they have some financial or political incentive for the expansion to happen doesn't it. Keep an eye out for the same names in future airport news entries, it's funny.
Nearly as funny as the continual bull**** spouted by Kiti Theobold and her equally ill-advised flock of sheep.
Various people, ob behalf of the airport and the owners have provided information which, in my honest opinion, has been detailed concerning both the structual plans for the airports development, as well as proposed operational services.
All that has been offered by SAEN is mis-guided information based on what exactly ? Certainly not anything which has been released by the airport.
The bottom line is that SAEN are making themsleves look particularly foolish and their actions are that of a desperately wounded animal.
Oh, and just for your information, i personally hane no association with either the airport not the owners. And before you come to any other mis-construed conclusions, i live within 0.5 miles of the airport, and so I would be effected more than most by future developments.
TVoR
DannyK86, Leigh says...
1:53pm Thu 7 May 09
southendmechanic, southend on sea says...
8:57pm Thu 7 May 09
siddymint, Belfairs says...
6:36am Fri 8 May 09
Puts many supposed facts into question.
Lesley, Hawkwell says...
11:40am Fri 8 May 09
I wouldn't be happy to have that happen on a regular basis. During the day, fair enough...
howbizarre, essex says...
12:36pm Fri 8 May 09
Passengers are already encouraged to check in online instead of at the terminal to cut down on the number of staff; new airport capacity will further entrench this low-staffing model by automating baggage handling and check-in. The world has changed...I'm not a SAEN 'plant'nor a 'Nimby' just a realist - this won't benefit any of us at all.
Thames Gateway, S-O-S says...
7:30pm Fri 8 May 09
You are so out of touch with where the jobs actually would come from the small runway extension it is laughable! Have you ever been to Southend Airport? Have you ever flown or been abroad on holiday (taking money out of the area, tut! tut!).
Anyway, money would be brought into the area with greater economic prosperity, and Europeans landing at Southend because of it's convenience to London and the south-east.
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Norfolk, Rochford says...
8:22am Thu 7 May 09
Perhaps this red herring so beloved of the SAEN fantasists can be finally put to rest and the benefits of the runway extension, both in terms of the passenger flight opportunities it would offer and the genuine reductions in potential night noise nuisance that it will ensure, can be focused upon and supported.