Blackpool Council has
completed the purchase of the Blackpool Airport site, bringing the
company back into full public ownership for the first time in 13
years. The
council, which was previously a 5% shareholder in the airport, has
signed a £4.25m deal with previous owners Balfour Beatty to fully
take over the operating company Regional and City Airports
(Blackpool) Holdings Ltd.
The Council has
acquired all shares in Regional and City Airports (Blackpool)
Holdings Ltd and will take over 100% ownership of the airport site.
Cllr Simon Blackburn,
Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Today is a really
important day for aviation on the Fylde coast and this
sale heralds a positive new dawn for Blackpool Airport.
This move
will protect the airport as a company, including the 30
jobs that are currently employed there. It will also
allow us to ensure that the airport itself can continue
to operate as an important hub that can benefit the
whole region.
“Blackpool
Airport is such a key part of having a strong local
economy and it is absolutely vital that we safeguard its
future and ensure that it can continue to be used as an
aviation and employment hub for the Fylde coast for the
long term. |
|
Simon
Blackburn |
“We do not envisage
the return of large scale passenger planes to the airport. The
purpose of this acquisition is to safeguard the helicopter and other
commercial airside activities that take place, build upon them and
deliver our overall objective of creating up to 5,000 jobs on the
Enterprise Zone site.
“Blackpool Airport is
the largest area of land in our thriving Enterprise Zone and this
purchase will help us ensure that the airport continues to play a
big part in making our Enterprise Zone one of the most successful in
the country.
“As the current
company stands, Blackpool Airport is profitable and as such we can
be confident that the money for the purchase can be repaid.
“As a minority
stakeholder, we have always retained an interest in the company
continuing as an airport and serving the whole of the Fylde coast.
Now as the sole owner, Blackpool residents can feel confident that
we have the airport’s best interest at heart and will aim to support
and grow the airport where possible.
“People can be
confident that we have the airport’s best interests at heart, we
will retain the current operating staff as well as exploring any
potential opportunities for private companies with aviation
interests to invest in the company so that it can grow in the future
but this is not about trying to bring jumbo jets back to the airport
anytime soon.”
Blackpool Council
last owned the airport in 2004, when it was sold to City Hopper
Airports for a total of £13m, before being sold on to Balfour Beatty
in 2008. The airport was placed into administration in 2014, closing
temporarily before reopening with reduced capacity.
This purchase will be
funded through a mixture of prudential borrowing and future sales of
identified land within the enterprise zone to new businesses.
A full business case
exploring the potential future for the airport is being developed in
accordance with a strategic masterplan for the Enterprise Zone and
airport. |