Durham Tees Valley Airport

Durham Tees Valley Airport
IATA: MME – ICAO: EGNV
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Peel Airports (75%) and local authorities (25%)
Operator		Durham Tees Valley Airport Ltd.
Serves		North East England
Location		Middleton St George, Darlington, County Durham
Elevation AMSL		120 ft / 37 m
Coordinates		54°30′33″N 001°25′46″W / 54.50917°N 1.42944°W / 54.50917; -1.42944 (Durham Tees Valley Airport)
Website		www.durhamteesvalleyairport.com
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
05/23	2,291	7,516	Asphalt
Statistics (2008)
Passengers			655,017
Aircraft movements			45,310
Cargo (tonnes)			290
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1] Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

Durham Tees Valley Airport (IATA: MME, ICAO: EGNV) is an airport in North East England, located 4.7 NM (8.7 km; 5.4 mi) southeast of Darlington,^[1] about 16 km (9.9 mi) southwest of Middlesbrough and 39 km (24 mi) south of Durham. The airport serves County Durham and parts of North Yorkshire, and is sited at Middleton St George in the Borough of Darlington.

Durham Tees Valley Airport is one of the UK's smaller airports, but offers links to several domestic and European destinations. The airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (number P518) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction.

Originally an RAF Station, the airfield became Teesside International Airport in the 1960s, and was renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport in 2004. The majority shareholder in the airport is Peel Airports Ltd who own 75%,^[3] while the remaining 25% is owned by a consortium of local authorities, consisting of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Councils.

History

RAF station

The airfield began its life as Royal Air Force Station Goosepool, and in 1941 became RAF Middleton St. George. The RAF station was closed in 1963 and the airfield was put up for sale.

Teesside International

The former RAF Station and airfield was purchased by the late Cleveland County Council who saw the potential of the airfield as a commercial one, and developed it into a civil airport. The first flight from the airport took place in 1964 with a Mercury Airlines service to Manchester. Princess Margaretha of Sweden opened the international passenger terminal in 1966.

After flights to Manchester the airport continued to develop a small yet strong network of both scheduled and inclusive tour charter routes. In November 1969 the first flight to London Heathrow was operated by British Midland. The route however ceased operations on the 28 March 2009, after nearly 40 years.

1990 saw the one millionth aircraft movement at the airport, in the form of a British Midland service to London Heathrow. In 1996 when Cleveland County Council disbanded the airport ownership was divided amongst several Borough Councils.

In 2002 the airport sought a strategic partner to assist with future development and Peel Airports Ltd was selected as the preferred company, taking a 75% stake in the airport with a commitment to invest £20m over the subsequent five years.

Durham Tees Valley Airport

On 21 September 2004 the airport was renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport as part of a major redevelopment plan. The renaming was unpopular with some local residents.^[4]

The name was changed in order to better place the airport geographically, as many of the airport's passengers, particularly those from outside the UK, were unfamiliar with the location of Teesside, whilst Durham is better known.

In January 2005 a £56 million expansion and development programme was started which to enable the airport to handle up to 3 million passengers annually. Phase one of this development programme has already been completed and has seen the construction of a new access road, as well as a completely new terminal front and interior. Also the airfield lighting has been replaced.

Future development

In December 2006 Darlington and Stockton Borough Councils approved plans for the first of two expansions for the airport.^[5]

The plans include an extended and refurbished terminal, with improved baggage handling and check-in facilities, lounges, office space and retail and restaurant facilities. Also, a Cargo and Maintenance "village" is proposed along with nine additional aircraft stands and 4,500 car parking spaces.

A second planning application has also been approved, for an 18,600sq metre business park with a 100-bed hotel, public house and restaurant. Since these plans were approved, the airport modified the application replacing the proposed Cargo and Maintenance "village" with an Industrial Estate instead.^[6]

Building work for both of the above plans has yet to commence.

Plans for an 80-bedroom hotel have been approved, however Durham Tees Valley Airport opposes these plans as they were made by an outside company.^[7][8][9]

Ground transport

Bus

Sky Express bus service

The Sky Express bus service was launched in May 2005 and connected the airport with Darlington's Rail Station and Town Hall. Travel was free for bona-fide passengers. The service ran up to every hour during the day and was operated by Arriva North East. The service ceased operation on 25 January 2009.

Arriva also operates services 12 and 20, the 12 runs from Hurworth/Neasham and Darlington to the airport, and the 20 runs from Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees to the airport.

Car

The airport is situated off the A67 and is within easy reach of the A1(M), A19, A66 corridors, it is well signposted from all major routes. A significant upgrade to complete a fast link direct to the airport from the A66 was completed in 2008.^[10]

Rail

Whilst the airport has its own railway station rail links are poor as this remote station, some distance from the terminal building, is only served by two trains per week. The station is a 15-minute walk from the airport terminal.^[11]

Wikinews has related news: Rail users highlight Teesside Airport 'ghost station'

On Saturday 24 October 2009, a group of 26 people travelled to and from the airport station on the only scheduled service, to highlight the station's existence and its poor rail service, and to persuade rail authorities to move it 500 metres closer to the airport terminal.^[11][12][13]

The airport is currently in negotiations with Network Rail to make the nearby Dinsdale railway station the main rail link for the airport in the short term.^[14][15]

In the longer term, a new station could be built closer to the terminal, as part of the Tees Valley Metro project^[16].

Taxi

Taxis are available directly outside the airport terminal.

Airlines and destinations

General aviation

A number of flight training, flying clubs and companies providing business charters are based at the airport.

Other operators

Durham Tees Valley is a base for FR Aviation, who have a fleet of 7 Dassault Falcon 20's based at the airport. FRA's Durham Tees Valley aircraft fly electronic countermeasure flights for the Royal Air Force and other NATO air forces.

Flight Precision is a Durham Tees Valley based Cobham subsidiary who operate four Beech Super King Air B200's.

The Great North Air Ambulance has a single Bolkow BO-105 based at the airport until January 2010 when the full time replacement for the MD902 Explorer is delivered. Cleveland Police have their Air Operations Unit based in the form of Eurocopter EC-135 G-NESV

Tees Valley Flight Training offer PPL and NPPL training as well as night rating and IMC training, ground and flight exams, licence renewal and revalidation. www.teesvalleyflighttraining.com

Statistics

References

External links

• Media related to Durham Tees Valley Airport at Wikimedia Commons
• Durham Tees Valley Airport official website

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