MP proposes RAF's return to Durham Tees Valley airport (From The Northern Echo)
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Jenny Chapman writes to Defence Secretary over RAF Leeming runway share
8:30am Saturday 6th August 2011 in News
Jenny Chapman
A RADICAL plan to revitalise the fortunes of a troubled airport by relocating an RAF station there will be put to Government ministers.
Darlington MP Jenny Chapman has written to Defence Secretary Liam Fox about the proposal, which would allow the North Yorkshire military base at RAF Leeming to share a runway, air traffic control and emergency services with Durham Tees Valley Airport, near Darlington.
She believes the pooling of resources could save the Government money and help the North-East economy recover more quickly from the recession.
The airport, which The Northern Echo reported yesterday was still losing money and passengers, opened as RAF Goosepool during the Second World War, and already hosts military training.
Mrs Chapman told The Northern Echo: “I had a conversation with Craig Richmond, chief executive of the airport, and he told me they need to have an additional activity which would be helpful in keeping the airport successful while they found additional routes and carriers operating there.
“One of the possibilities, bearing in mind the Ministry of Defence is trying to make substantial savings, is to look at moving the RAF base at Leeming to Durham Tees Valley.
"I do not see why a commercial airport cannot run alongside a military facility."
Shaun Woods
“The runway, air traffic control and emergency services at Durham Tees Valley are not being used to their full capacity.
“We are very close to Catterick, one of the biggest military bases in Europe, and the airport used to be a military base anyway. There are some very good reasons for this.
“Instead of debating whether we should call it Durham Tees Valley or Teesside, we should be finding ways of making it more profitable.
“You do not fly from an airport because it is called a certain name, you fly from an airport because it offers what you want.”
She said she thought Dr Fox would be open to the idea because it would save money.
She added: “It would make our resources work harder. It is a winwin situation.”
Shaun Woods, the duty manager at Durham Tees Valley Airport, said: “It would be great. I do not see why a commercial airport cannot run alongside a military facility. There would be no problem whatsoever. We already work with a military element.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said he could not comment directly on the proposal because it had not yet been received, but said: “RAF Leeming has got a huge amount of infrastructure, including Army units based there, and Hawk aircraft. It is a massive base.”
Comments(14)
myecho
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11:01am Sat 6 Aug 11
johnty
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11:28am Sat 6 Aug 11
- JOHNTY
Sardonicus
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2:42pm Sat 6 Aug 11
There is, and always has been, cooperation between these two airports mainly out of necessity. But to propose a joint venture with RAF Leeming beggars belief.
Given that all the old 'RAF Goosepool' married accommodation has been returned to civilian housing; has she considered such minor elements as safety distances for armed aircraft, movement and storage of ordnance and operational flying programmes which can be 24 hours a day for several days.
As for 'saving money' what then becomes of the huge investment that has recently been made at both Leeming and Catterick?
Military aircraft regularly 'land-away' at civilian airports both for training and for emergency or operational reasons. However, to suggest that a combined military/civil sharing of DTV is ludicrous.
As many posters have said elsewhere, the future of DTV lies in attracting carriers who are willing to fly to destinations the locals want to fly to at a competitive price with no absurd extras heaped on top.
Dean M
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3:31pm Sat 6 Aug 11
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No, a political stunt from Ms Chapman. Although I do agree with her about the debate about the airport's name being completely pointless.
MSG
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6:08pm Sat 6 Aug 11
Please will Darlingtons MP keep their nose out of Sedgefields business, or allow Darlington's villages of Hurworth, Middleton St George, Sadberge & Neasham into the Darlington constituency & outof Sedgefield, as they should be!.
I would prefer to see the Gateshead western bypass widened to allow a more speedy arrival at Newcastle airport from Co Durham & the Tees Valley, and Teesside airport redeveloped into a railway linked freight & business park .
thebobster
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1:10am Sun 7 Aug 11
Infact a BAe Hawk T1 aircraft, the exact same type which is based at RAF Leemin, was partially based at cobham for several days a few weeks ago.
Another issue with "Joe-Public" who do not understand the aviation structure is safety distances for armed aircraft, you will fine quite easilly that the hawk aircraft, do very rarely, if not ever carry bombs, or live rounds, as this is not needed for their role in the RAF, as they are not combat aircraft, all this training is done at one of the command bases, such as RAF Conningsby. Which does also share civillian flights, operated by Eastern Airways, on behalf of BAe Systems.
Rob
DarloJon
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7:15am Sun 7 Aug 11
DCC Public Enemy No 1
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2:24pm Sun 7 Aug 11
stiv
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3:37pm Sun 7 Aug 11
DCC Public Enemy No 1
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8:40pm Sun 7 Aug 11
Sardonicus
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12:03pm Mon 8 Aug 11
If the aim is to keep DTV open and viable then, as previously stated, attracting carriers with popular, sustainable, value for money routes is the only answer. Moving a military base in there will not get you to your holiday destination any more than you can now.
Spy Boy
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3:09pm Mon 8 Aug 11
Unfortunately, Ms Chapman seems to suffer from a common political syndrome : Just because they are MPs, they feel justified to make remarks like this despite knowing nothing at all about the subject. This is why Britain's defences are in a shambles. Career politicians should keep their interfering noses out of what does not concern them . . . unless they actually have the skills, knowledge and background of the subject to allow them to make a sensible contribution.
Conspiracy theory : Is the airport is failing on purpose, so that the land can be bought up cheap for more housing which will not be cheap. I bet they already have the street names based on famous RAF aircraft that were based there. The runway can be retained to allow the new residents to fly to work in their own aircraft. There are a couple of these Fly In estates in America.
kendizx9r
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3:31pm Mon 8 Aug 11
kendizx9r says...
10:56am Sat 6 Aug 11