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Keep The Region Flying is a campaign urging the Government to step in to maintain the region's air links with London following the departure of BMI from Durham Tees Valley Airport.



Show your support for the campaign and 'Keep The Region Flying'

12:22pm Friday 20th February 2009 in


The Northern Echo is urging the Government to step in to maintain the region's air links with London following the departure of bmi from Durham Tees Valley Airport.

We want to know your thoughts on the termination of the bmi link to the capital and the wider issue of the North-East being squeezed out of London airports.

Register your support for the campaign by leaving your thoughts via the form below.

What the region's business and community leaders say

"As a neighbour of DurhamTees Airport, we at Rockliffe Hall are fully behind the Northern Echo's campaign to maintain the region's flight links with London. These routes are vital for the success of a vast number of businesses. During a period when the North East is welcoming record numbers of tourists to the area, this decision seems all the more perplexing and disappointing."
Nick Holmes, managing director of Rockliffe Hall

"It's ludicrous that they are trying to price us out of something that is inherent to the regeneration and well being of the region. We're trying to keep our heads above water in a very difficult time and we dont need this extra penalty."
Vera Baird, MP for Redcar

"I'm 100 per cent behind The Northern Echo campaign. We need access to a global hub for economic reasons. People who invest in the region need to know that a link is available."
Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson

"BAA is charging the same for a 40-seat aircraft as a 747 - it's ridiculous. I'm convinced it's a matter of BAA's Spanish owners gathering more money to pay for the finance charge they had to pay for the airport in the first place."
Stockton North MP Frank Cook

"We are committed to the sustainable development of the region's ports and airports. We have consistently lobbied for continuing access for regional air services into the London airports, both from Durham Tees Valley Airport and from Newcastle International, as being vital to the economic prospects and competitiveness of the region."
Hilary Knox, deputy director of the Association of North East Councils (ANEC)

"I'm a member of the Government so I am not going to lobby the Government."
Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, when asked if she would support the campaign.

"Transport links to London are vitally important for the economic well-being of the North East region, and the loss of the bmi link to Heathrow is very disappointing."
Liz Mayes, CBI assistant regional director

"It's imperative that Teesside keeps its Heathrow link which brings in passengers who are visiting or doing business in the region."
Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

"The link between Heathrow and Durham Tees Valley has been absolutely critical to business development and I will be contacting BAA directly to discuss their relationship to the regional airports and to challenge them on their fee structure. I shall also be working with colleagues in the Northern Group of MPs for a better deal for Durham Tees Valley Airport."
Hilary Armstong MP

"The region's airports are huge assets. We are confident the market for flights from Durham Tees Valley to the capital remains strong but we also need to see clear signals from Government that it recognises the value of regional airports."
James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce

"Airline bmi's decision is very bad news for Teesside and the surrounding area, including North Yorkshire. It reflects the excessive concentration of policy on Heathrow rather than the development of regional airports, something a Conservative Government wants to change."
Conservative Shadow Minister William Hague, MP for Richmond

Comments(15)

Coates says...
3:05pm Fri 20 Feb 09

This decision is a disaster for the North-East. The Heathrow link is crucially important for the future development of the Tees Valley and I support The Northern Echo in its campaign to keep our region flying.

Hugh Lang and his colleagues at Peel Airports have done a good job in developing services from Teesside over the last few years and this decision, which was surely taken as a result of pressure from BMI's incoming parent Lufthansa, undermines everything they have achieved.

David Coates
Regional Managing Director
Newsquest Yorkshire & North East

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Vem says...
5:25pm Fri 20 Feb 09

At a time when a third runway is being proposed at Heathrow, it's ludicrious that we should lose our connection to it.

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FumingofDarlo says...
6:04pm Fri 20 Feb 09

If you were looking to invest in a region, I would of though good air links to London would be a must. The Tees Valley needs this service so come on MPs, pull your collective fingers out!

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cashback says...
8:36pm Fri 20 Feb 09

bmi have gone - they are not going to come back.

Durham Tees Valley Airport management need to start talking to new airlines NOW. The only other airline with domestic routes out of Heathrow is BA. Forget it.

The only chance of a London link to Teesside now is Gatwick or London City.

DTV Airport bosses need to be talking to Aer Lingus, since they are just opening a base at Gatwick. bmi killed the DTV route with terrible timings for business travellers and connections. If Aer Lingus come in with good advertising and decent timings, they can make it work. The train link to London from Gatwick is as good as from Heathrow. If Aer Lingus want feeder passengers for their new network from Gatwick, surely the north-east can provide some of those.

I live in Abu Dhabi and do not want to travel to Dubai to get to Newcastle and then get on a train. I want to fly from Abu Dhabi to London and then fly to my local airport - Durham Tees Valley. If that means flying into Gatwick, I will do just that.

People need to get the psyhological 'Heathrow is London' out of their heads and realise that Gatwick IS a viable option. Aer Lingus must realise that, and hopefully they will look seriously at filling the gap left by bmi at Durham Tees Valley. The catchment area for a Durham Tees Valley to London air link has actually just got bigger with the departure of bmi from Leeds Bradford also, so if anyone takes over the Durham Tees Valley-London air link, they should also be able to take more North Yorkshire traffic too.

Aer Lingus (Gatwick)?
FlyBe (Gatwick)?
VLM (London City)?
BA Cityflyer (London City)?
Eastern Airways (London City)?

In the order above, Durham Tees Valley management need to start talks NOW!!!

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smalleyc says...
12:12pm Sat 21 Feb 09

BMI are in trouble. We are ex North East and are now in Cheshire. Manchester has lost all its long haul BMI flights including the one we were booked on to Barbados in May. DTV has to move on and try and find an alternative company to provide a service that I used for business for over 30 years. To have to go to Newcastle to get to Heathrow in stupid.

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nixmarlor says...
9:49pm Sat 21 Feb 09

I'm 21 this year and due to go to New York to celebrate in May. I now can't get connecting flights to Heathrow from Teesside and the ones from Newcastle don't get into Heathrow in time to get the flight out to the USA. This mess has put my holiday of a lifetime in jeopardy. You can talk about business and the development of the North East all you like, but at the most basic level, its messing things up for joe average too.

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Hannah Chapman says...
1:41pm Sun 22 Feb 09

Comment from Terry Hudson:

Strangely, it appears there is an element of surprise amongst local business leaders with regard to bmi's decision to terminate the DTV - Heathrow service. Let's set the record straight. Over the last few years, bmi have treated DTV as a joke.
Whilst I accept Peter Spencer's comments re BAA's landing charges, I do not believe for a minute that this is the primary reason for their decision. For years, Michael Bishop, bmi's chairman has been 'busting a gut' to operate bmi's transatlantic services out of Heathrow.
The ONLY reason the DTV service has lasted this long is because bmi had to keep it going otherwise they would have lost their landing slots @ Heathrow.
Now that the open skies agreement is in place, guess what? Bmi's transatlantic services out of Manchester are being transferred to Heathrow, filling the slots currently occupied by DTV & Leeds/Bradford services.
Whilst I accept there can be no sentiment in business, bmi would do well to remember that their services from DTV & LBA built the foundations of the airline as it exists today!
On the subject of DTV generally, it became a civil airport in the mid 1960's when the RAF moved out. Within 25 miles of this facility we have what is probably the largest petrochemical complex in Europe, if not the world. Many of their employees spend much of their working lives travelling the globe and yet to do so, more often than not, involves their travelling to Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford or Manchester to reach their destinations.
Why? Since the mid 60's, what have successive managements @ DTV done to attract new business? Precious little as far as I can see! In the meantime Newcastle has grown like Topsy, with a new terminal extension and new services being announced almost on a weekly basis.
Newcastle, in my opinion, is the worst airport in the country to get to & from @ peak times & is geographically in totally the wrong location.
Yet, notwithstanding, One Newcastle (sorry that should be One North East) granted Newcastle Regional Airport status!? Finally, and apologies for being so 'long winded' what have Peel Airports achieved @ DTV, apart from being totally unable to attract new business?
For a start they have put some fancy cladding around a basically derelict building, the terminal, and built a car park big enough for a hypermarket! Do we have to read something into this? Sadly, I believe Peel have no interest in DTV as an airport & in the not too distant future we will have a huge trading estate on our doorstep.

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Doris Jones says...
3:48pm Sun 22 Feb 09

This throws a real body blow to DTVA and this area.
My concern is what impact will this have on the business units and hotel accommodation that have just received planning approval?
Surely the London connection would have had a vital role in its future progress.
If DTVA lose any more flights we are going to finish up with huge industrial sheds being built around a part-time airport flying mainly military and freight airlines.




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John H Waiting says...
8:04pm Sun 22 Feb 09

I am some what surprised that Helen Goodman MP for Bishop Auckland has chosen not to support the Airport.I suggest she listens to the people who put her in Office.I for one expect ALL of our politicians,what ever party, to support this important facility and ensure we obtain air services into our Capital city.

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captry says...
8:47am Mon 23 Feb 09

The loss of flights from Durham TV to Heathrow will be a great nuisance for holidaymakers. Anyone doing a long-haul flight or wishing to go on a package holidays where the holiday start point is joining a flight at Heathrow currently finds the easy access (and reduced travel time)by flying to Heathrow so convenient. To travel by train to King's Cross and then outwards to Heathrow is very inconvenient, particularly if carrying large suitcases.


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Dean M says...
5:07pm Mon 23 Feb 09

It's a bit hypocritical of Labour MPs to whine about BAA landing charges when they've been hammering air passengers for years with ever-higher 'passenger duty' or (in Labour terms) ever-higher tax!

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CS1000 says...
10:55pm Mon 23 Feb 09

Whereas the failure of the Heathrow route is mainly down to bmi, the Durham Tees Valley Airport management must also take some responsibilty. Why has no-one asked why every single new route except for two that DTVA have gained in the last 4-5 years (about six, not including all the routes operated by the long gone bmibaby/Flyglobespan
/Thomsonfly), have failed after a relatively short amount of time? In addition to that, the recently announced summer programme from DTVA by Ryanair is actually a downsize compared to last summer - there is one less flight per week to Dublin. Start seeing through the spin. The airport owners, Peel Holdings, are property developers, and many believe they want the land that DTVA currently sits on for houses/business parks/industrial estates etc, and we the public need to stop them or face losing our local airport.

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M C says...
12:10am Tue 24 Feb 09

Your campaign is understandable and I wish it well. However I am convinced it is doomed to fail. Here’s why:-

At its peak just prior to the outbreak of the first Gulf war in 1990 the Teesside to Heathrow route carried 200,000 passengers a year. In 2007 (the latest year for which figures are available on the CAA website) it carried 88,000. Passenger figures on the route have been on a predominantly downward trend for nearly 20 years. The demise of the route is not caused by the “credit crunch”.

Over the same timespan passenger numbers on the Leeds-Bradford to Heathrow route have declined from 225,000 to 137,000 a year. Interestingly passenger numbers from Newcastle to Heathrow have increased from 388,000 to 495,000 during the same period.

Contrast those numbers from DTVA and LBA with passenger carryings on the route from Heathrow to Milan, one of the routes on which Lufthansa will deploy the assets freed-up by their withdrawal from DTVA and LBA. In 2007 nearly 1.2 MILLION passengers flew Heathrow to Milan. Which route would you choose to operate in the face of numbers like that?

bmi and BAA are private sector businesses. You cannot blame them for seeking to maximise the revenue generated by their assets. That’s what the private sector does. If you don’t like that the only alternative is state control of slot allocation at airports and state subsidy of domestic air routes. I don’t hear politicians of any political persuasion advocating that.

This is not a new problem, and your campaign would be wrong to seek to create the impression that the north east is being uniquely hard-done-by. Over the last twenty years or so the following English provincial points have ALL lost their services to Heathrow; Newquay, Plymouth, Birmingham, East Midlands, Norwich, Humberside and Liverpool. Many of the issues you are raising now were doubtless raised in those locations then. No intervention was forthcoming from the government then. I doubt we shall see one now.

As someone once said; “you can’t buck the market”.

Martin Chapple, Darlington.
bmi Ticket Sales Supervisor, Teesside Airport, 1985-2001

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chrislines says...
4:01pm Tue 24 Feb 09

Durham Tees Valley Airport is an important link to the rest of the country and abroad, particularly for businesses. The airport's development over recent years has been impressive and a reduction in routes and services could really hinder the region's economic development. As a regular user of Durham Tees Valley, I support the Northern Echo's campaign and hope that it pays dividends.

Chris Lines,
Press Ahead Ltd.

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Lindy30 says...
6:45pm Fri 6 Mar 09

I heard that this local link was dropped as Heathrow required the slot for flights to and from Tel Aviv.. and surprisingly today I have had an email from BMI announcing this new flight!! Its a disgrace.. I have regularily been using this flight for over 15 years now and it has always been popular for both local business and social travellers.. In this current climate BMI should be seen to support local businesses to help build up the economy not be another one to add another nail in the coffin..

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