Humberside Airport eyes future role in renewables; Helicopters 'could be massive growth area'

InShort The future of Humberside Airport has been secured after Manchester Airport Group sold its majority share in the facility.

HUMBERSIDE Airport could soon play a vital role in the region's plans to be a UK leader in the renewables industry.

Manchester Airports Group (Mag) yesterday confirmed it had sold its 82.7 per cent shareholding in Humberside to Eastern Group, for "an undisclosed sum".

However, the minutes from a meeting of Bolton Council's cabinet put the value of the deal at about £2.3 million - almost £8 million less than Mag paid for its majority stake in 1999.

Paul Litten, head of business development at Humberside Airport, said the deal secured the future of the Kirmington facility and would enable it to press ahead with its plans for future growth.

He said: "From a staffing and passenger perspective, it is business as usual.

"The fact we now have a different shareholder doesn't alter the way we are running the airport but it means the viability of the airport and its future security as a vital piece of local infrastructure have been secured."

Mr Litten pointed out that Humberside has the secondlargest helicopter operation of any UK airport.

There are 1,000 helicopter flights carrying passengers between the airport and offshore gas platforms in the North Sea every month.

Humberside Airport has grown to become a vital part of the offshore gas and oil industries. Mr Litten said this demonstrated how the facility was perfectly placed to further its links to industry in terms of offshore wind.

"Nobody has yet put a spade in the ground to build the round three offshore wind farms, but when they do they will need to transport workers to and from the North Sea," he said.

"When they do, it will require crews to be transported there by helicopter, and this could be a massive growth area for us."

Each year, about 275,000 passengers travel via Humberside Airport, including scheduled and charter passenger services, freight, business users and offshore workers. Bryan Huxford, chairman of Eastern Group, said: "The airport has potential for growth, and under the present airport management team, supported by Eastern Group, will develop in accordance with the business plan already in place."

Mag acquired a majority stake in Humberside Airport in 1999 for £10 million.

Since then, more than £7 million has been invested in the airport.

'New owner can take business forward' In your words Manchester Airport Group chief executive Charlie Cornish MANCHESTER Airport Group has believed for some time that the best long-term operational model for Humberside Airport was with a new owner that could focus on taking the business forward into the next phase of its development.

The Eastern Group specialises in aviation-related activities and we are delighted that our former colleagues at the airport will now have a new owner that can concentrate on developing the business.

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