RiverOak Strategic Partners Limited (RSP) is pleased to announce Manston Airport is launching its Stage 3 airspace consultation, as part of the next step in the process to reopen the airport as an air freight hub. Stage 3 is the public consultation phase of the airspace change proposal process, where proposed changes to flight paths and airspace structure are presented to residents, communities, and wider stakeholders.
The airport, located near Ramsgate, has been closed since 2014. Plans to bring it back into operation by RSP have been in progress since the company purchased the site in 2019. A Development Consent Order (DCO) to approve reopening the airport was granted in 2020, with an updated version approved in 2022.
The consultation will run from Monday 16 March until Monday 22 June 2026 and will include a series of in-person and online events during April providing the local community with details of the proposed flight paths and airport usage.
Tony Freudmann, Director at RiverOak Strategic Partners said: “This consultation is an important step in our ambitions to reopen Manston Airport, representing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver new runway capacity to support the UK air cargo market and to transform the economic landscape in East Kent.
We know Manston holds a special place in the area’s history, we would encourage people to find out more about our proposal and provide any feedback they might have to help shape our plans.”
Further information including how to take part, event details, supporting materials and feedback forms will be made available on the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Citizen Space Consultation Portal from Monday 16 March.
ENDS
For enquiries specifically about the airspace change consultation, please contact [email protected].
For general media enquiries regarding Manston Airport, please contact Wordsmith Communication.
The consultation is being run in accordance with airspace change standards governed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). All progress regarding the consultation and wider airspace change process is available to view on the CAA’s online portal, https://airspacechange.caa.co.uk/.