The Government has been called upon to restore flights between struggling Durham Tees Valley Airport and the capital during a House of Commons debate held earlier today.

Stockton South MP James Wharton called for Government help to restore the vital route.

And he revealed during the debate on transport in the UK economy that, despite the issue having been discussed for a number of years, former Regional Development Agency One North East had failed to apply for a Public Service Obligation (PSO) to protect DTV's Heathrow flights.

Mr Wharton asked Ministers to consider designating the DTV-Heathrow link a PSO, which would see daily flights between the region and London restored.

In Scotland, PSOs were imposed in the mid 1990s to enable subsidies to continue to be paid to operate air routes linking the Highlands and Islands with Glasgow - routes not commercially viable but seen as economically and socially necessary.

Airline bmi - which was granted its wish to change the airport's name from Teesside International Airport to Durham Tees Valley for marketing reasons - cancelled its three daily flights to Heathrow in 2009.

Airport bosses blamed the move on shattering losses and that same year, Flyglobespan and Thomson cancelled their flights and Ryanair axed its service to Dublin.

Mr Warton noted that the Irish Government had used European legislation to support a number of regional airports and asked Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, to look carefully at whether the same could be done for DTV. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Wharton said: “It is quite possible for a government with the right strategic view to look at the needs of regional airports, within existing EU regulations, and to establish PSOs that can protect them and enable them to prosper.

“We now have the opportunity to revisit whether a PSO should be given to Teesside.” He also expressed his anger that no application had been made by One North East and singled out for criticism the “failure by the RDA to engage constructively in finding a way to protect important routes between the North-East and the capital.” However a previous report carried out for One North East by RDC Aviation found that a PSO could cost the region £20m to set up, plus between £1m and £2m a year to run.

Mr Wharton asked Transport Minister Norman Baker whether the newly established Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) - which is replacing the riole of the regional development agencies - could still apply for a PSO.

“We now have a single LEP which covers the entire airport site... If a request is made, supported by local councils, business leaders and no doubt honourable members, will the Government look at it, will it consider that option, and will it constructively work with me and others... so that the future of this important airport, which has so much potential to be a driver for our regional economy, can be secured?” Mr Baker replied that: “James Wharton has done a lot of hard work on behalf of the airport and I think we all recognise that... It is open to regional stakeholders to apply to the secretary of state to impose a PSO on an air route should they feel a case can be made and it satisfies EU regulations.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Wharton added: “I hope this is something our LEP can explore, it certainly seems to be one possible way of helping to secure Teesside Airport’s future. It is staggering that One North East let Teesside (DTV) Airport down so badly, their focus on Newcastle at the expense of the rest of the region is a legacy our LEP must now address.”