Blackpool Airport

[airforced]

The Council are just chasing rainbows with their 10 year plan.. Somebody is having a laugh!

 

[Scottie Dog]

Courtesy of Thebusinessdesk.com​

​

Expansion plans at Blackpool Airport with proposals for five new hangars​

The first new development at Blackpool Airport in more than 15 years has been unveiled, with plans for five new hangars.

As part of the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, outline planning consent is being sought for three 20,000 sq ft hangars suitable for light general aviation and small planes, including small corporate turboprops and warbird aircraft.

The application also includes two hangars capable of housing larger planes such as a Boeing 737 or Airbus A321 for maintenance, repair and overhaul activities.

The hangars would be developed at the east side of the airport on land owned by Blackpool Council. The sites for the new smaller hangars are south and east of the current JMAX hangar. The site for the larger hangars is to the west of JMAX.

The application also includes a new road off Amy Johnson Way to access both sets of hangars, plus a small 6,000 sq ft commercial business unit fronting Amy Johnson Way opposite Chorley Group garages.

The development of the new Airport East hangars signals a period of regeneration for the airport and surrounding land, as part of the main Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone masterplan.

The updated masterplan for the airport involves developing a general aviation, training, maintenance and helicopter base at the east of the airport.

Creating new, modern hangars at the east side of the airport could allow some of the airport’s current occupiers to move across to more sustainable purpose-built facilities, as well as creating space for new fixed based customers.

A corporate jet hangar, executive aircraft handling facility hangar, airport administrative facilities and, in the longer term, a large apron and additional hangar facilities, are also planned for the areas at the west and centre of the airport.

Plans relating to other critical infrastructure at the airport, including the Air Traffic Control tower and rescue and firefighting services, will also follow later this year.

Blackpool Airport is the second busiest general aviation airport in the country, with almost 30,000 aero club and private take offs and landings in 2022, and the new general aviation hub will support that flying community.

Cllr Gillian Campbell, chair of the board at Blackpool Airport Operations, said: “This is a major step forward for our historic airport. For over 100 years Blackpool Airport has been a huge part of our local area and economy. It is a mammoth task to redevelop it while also keeping it open for our customers, but we will make it work.

“Our general aviation community is vitally important, along with our flight training operators, and these new hangars will create purpose-built facilities for them close to the runway. We can then explore further potential developments over the coming years.

“The future for Blackpool Airport is exciting and we are moving in the right direction to becoming a leading transport hub with potential to grow.”

The development is part of the third phase of Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone. Once the new hangars are occupied, 10 hectares of land around the north of Blackpool Airport can be unlocked for a new digital and technology quarter called Silicon Sands.

This will include a series of data centres and commercial business units, powered using sustainable energy and benefiting from a district heat network for the surrounding units.

Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for levelling up (place), said: “We’re working hard to make sure that we can support an airport that is commercially successful and a leading transport hub.

“To make that happen we must invest, but we also must make sure that the airport land uses its full potential. That means new hangars closer to the runway, and using the unlocked land to create more commercial business units which, in turn, create new jobs that local people will benefit from for years to come.”

Detailed planning permission is being sought for the new access roads. Outline planning permission is being sought for the associated hangars.

If approved, the hangar plots will be available for developers and occupiers to build over several years on a phased basis with enabling work to build the new access roads starting in the next six months.

Lead architectural consultants, Cassidy + Ashton, and engineering consultants, WSP, have supported Blackpool Council on the masterplan for the airport. Support to build the new access roads to the hangars, as well as the new link road to Amy Johnson Way, has been provided through a £7.5m grant from the government’s Town Fund.

Blackpool Airport is already a thriving hub for business, medevac and general aviation and offers aircraft handling, parking, engineering and refuelling services, flight and instrument training as well as having facilities for executive lounges and crew briefing.

More than 37,000 flights took off and landed at Blackpool Airport in 2022.

The council re-acquired Blackpool Airport from Balfour Beatty in September 2017, for £4.25m via its ownership of Blackpool Airport Operations and Blackpool Airport Property. The purchase saved the airport from risk of permanent closure and secured its long term future as part of the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

 

[airforced]

It sounds as though they have ambitious, but expensive plans, so wishing them well with it all. I doubt it will put too many noses out of joint but who knows these days.

 

[Silvercity]

Looks like plans for a small terminal facility to deal with exec type aircraft have been submitted to the council.

Blackpool Airport submits expansion plans for security area and passenger handling building - Passenger Terminal Today

Plans for a new office, security area and small passenger handling building at Blackpool Airport have been submitted to Fylde Council, which is responsible for the region. If approved, the

www.passengerterminaltoday.com

 

[Silvercity]

update on passenger terminal. #blackpoolairport ( from BBC)

Blackpool Airport's new passenger handling facility approved

The scheme will include an enhanced arrivals and departures area capable of handling up 45 passengers.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Aviador]

My mother returning to Blackpool from the Isle of Man. I'm not sure what year this will have been. She said she'd flown from Blackpool on this occasion but she also flew there from LBA on another occasion.
Anyone know what aircraft and airline this is?

#blackpoolairport

 

[blotbuc1]

View attachment 31423
My mother returning to Blackpool from the Isle of Man. I'm not sure what year this will have been. She said she'd flown from Blackpool on this occasion but she also flew there from LBA on another occasion.
Anyone know what aircraft and airline this is?

#blackpoolairport

It’s a Bristol 170 Wayfarer (the passenger version of the Bristol 170 Freighter) of Silver City Airways. They flew from Blackpool and LBA to the Isle of Man in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s using the Wayfarer and DC3’s. Some of the flights from LBA went via Blackpool.

As a child I flew on the LBA-IOM route several times. I made my first flight as an 11 year old in 1960 on a DC3. Subsequently I recall flying on the Wayfarer, the noise inside the cabin was horrendous, the passengers were provided with cotton wool for their ears!

Silver City were better known for their air ferry operations carrying passengers and cars from the southeast across the Channel to France.

 

[Silvercity]

View attachment 31423
My mother returning to Blackpool from the Isle of Man. I'm not sure what year this will have been. She said she'd flown from Blackpool on this occasion but she also flew there from LBA on another occasion.
Anyone know what aircraft and airline this is?

#blackpoolairport

Looks like it was Silver City Airways,.maybe a Viscount. Silvercity were famous for building Lydd Ferryfield Airport in Kent for cross channel air ferry flights . Lydd became one of the busiest UK airports at the time.

. Fab photo.

Posted some info of Silver City Airways in the Lydd Airport section.

 

[rollo]

Although Silver City did operate the Viscount the aircrcraft in the photo can't be a Viscount as they had large round windows not the square type shown

I'm sure it's a Bristol 170 Freighter or the passenger only version of Silver City, look at windows in the post mentioned by @Sillvercity on the Lydd forum.

Who's the sprog in the photo?

 

[blotbuc1]

Although Silver City did operate the Viscount the aircrcraft in the photo can't be a Viscount as they had large round windows not the square type shown

I'm sure it's a Bristol 170 Freighter or the passenger only version of Silver City, look at windows in the post mentioned by @Sillvercity on the Lydd forum.

Who's the sprog in the photo?

Yes, it’s definitely a Silver City170 - the route info, clothing of the passengers giving a rough date (I’ve a photo of me in the obligatory short trousers leaving a DC3 at IOM) and the distinctive windows and doorway of the 170.

 

[Silvercity]

Yes, it’s definitely a Silver City170 - the route info, clothing of the passengers giving a rough date (I’ve a photo of me in the obligatory short trousers leaving a DC3 at IOM) and the distinctive windows and doorway of the 170.

Wasn't this aircraft followed on by the Carvair, which I believe Freddy Laker had a lot to do with. A converted DC4 I think, which looked like a mini 747.
Aer Lingus flew them from Liverpool to Dublin, and of course the cross channel air ferry services from Southend and Lydd.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Wasn't this aircraft followed on by the Carvair, which I believe Freddy Laker had a lot to do with. A converted DC4 I think, which looked like a mini 747.
Aer Lingus flew them from Liverpool to Dublin, and of course the cross channel air ferry services from Southend and Lydd.

Indeed the Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair. 5 cars and 22 passengers. My father very kindly took our family on holiday to Ireland and we used the Liverpool service.

The other UK carrier was British Air Ferries (BAF)