Airport night flights considered

The council says 'loud, noisy planes' are not on the agenda

Plans for night-time flights from Kent International Airport are being discussed by Thanet council and EUjet.

PlaneStation, owner of the airport and the budget airline, announced plans for night-time flights last week along with a £30m rescue package for its business.

The company has lost over £6m during its first year.

Thanet council leader, Cllr Sandy Ezekiel, said the authority supported the airport, but that "loud, noisy planes" were not on the agenda.

We support the airport - either you support the airport or you don't Cllr Sandy Ezekiel

"We have been working with both PlaneStation and EUjet," he said.

"What they're providing is 450 jobs at present, with the potential for doubling that in the future.

"We support the airport - either you support the airport or you don't."

He said: "We may well end up with night flights, but they are certainly not on the agenda at the moment.

"It is certainly not on the agenda to have any of the loud, noisy planes flying in."

City investment

He said the plans had been put forward by EUjet because the airline wanted to maximise the use of the planes that it already has.

Last week, PlaneStation said a £30m investment package would safeguard the airport and airline for two years.

In its first year of operation, EUJet hoped for half a million passengers but attracted 71,000 in the three months after leisure flights began in September.

Cargo business also fell by 33% after a major freight operator pulled out in August citing increasing costs.

PJ McGoldrick, managing director of the airline, said the company expected to see 800,000 passengers flying out of the airport next year.