Archived News
SANTA COMES TO STAVERTON!!!
29th November 2010
Gloucestershire Airport is pleased to announce the arrival of Father Christmas! Santa and his little helpers will be at Staverton on Saturday 11th December with our resident airline Manx2.com, who will be offering pleasure flights in their 19-seat Dornier 228.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT OPEN DAY IS A RUNAWAY SUCCESS!
28th September 2010
Airport bosses are celebrating after over 2000 people flocked to the first charity open day at Gloucestershire Airport on Sunday, raising over £2500 for Help for Heroes in the process.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT IS SOARING
25th May 2010
Thanks to a customer focused and dedicated team, Gloucestershire Airport has once again proved that they are getting things right!
HOT AIR BALLOONS TAKE OVER OUR SKIES!
22nd May 2010
To celebrate the international year of biodiversity, local people are being invited to come along to the Big (biodiversity in Gloucestershire) picnic on Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common this Saturday, 22 May. Later in the evening, people can enjoy a spectacular launch of up to twenty hot air balloons.
AIRPORT EXPANSION
22nd May 2010
A deal has finally been struck to allow Gloucestershire Airport to expand after five years of negotiations.
CONEY HILL SCHOOL VISIT
29th April 2010
Pupils from Coney Hill were up, up and away at a visit to Gloucestershire Airport. Students and staff from Coney Hill Community Primary School had a look at the Staverton airport’s aircraft and its fire service.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT BUSIER THAN HEATHROW!
19th April 2010
Despite the air travel chaos affecting most of Northern Europe, Gloucestershire Airport has continued to operate.
Although the scheduled services to the Isle of Man and Jersey and the business jets have been unable to fly during the airspace restrictions in place, piston-engined training and private aircraft are unaffected by the volcanic ash.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT-BASED AIRCRAFT MONITORS ASH CLOUD
16th April 2010
As European airspace grinds to a halt for a second day, one Gloucestershire Airport-based aircraft is very busy. The Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Airborne Research & Survey Facility (ARSF), who relocated to the Airport in 2009, is flying its Dornier 228 research aircraft monitoring the Icelandic eruption.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT LAUNCHES FLIGHTS TO ANYWHERE!
13th April 2010
Gloucestershire Airport is pleased to announce the departure of its first commercial service to wherever the wind takes you!
In conjunction with Bristol-based Ballooning Network, hot air balloon flights are now available from the Staverton site. The flights will normally launch shortly after sunrise and a couple of hours before sunset, when conditions are usually best suited to ballooning.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT BIDS FAREWELL TO 1s AER ARANN DEPARTURE TO DUBLIN DURING THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
15th March 2010
Punters returning from the racecourse and a number of local residents grabbed the opportunity to use the scheduled services between Gloucestershire Airport and Dublin operated by Aer Arann.
MANX2.COM IS FLYING HIGH AFTER A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR
8th January 2010
Manx2.com is soaring after its performance in 2009 proved to be just the ticket.
TIRED OF GOLD CUP CROWDS? WE’LL FLY YOU AWAY FOR WEEK.
20th December 2009
Sick of the crowds at Cheltenham during the Gold Cup? Now you can escape at the drop of a Guinness hat to the Emerald Isle.
£2.4m AIRPORT REVAMP WILL BE ‘NO RISK TO THE TAXPAYER’
24th November 2009
Gloucestershire Airport’s boss has rubbished claims taxpayers will pick-up the tab if its revamp fails. Mark Ryan has promised that the Staverton-based operation will cover every penny of a £2.4 million loan, which is about to be taken out on its behalf by local authorities.
AIRPORT BENZ OVER BACKWARDS - MERCEDES DRIVER IN TOP GEAR AT AIRPORT
10th November 2009
Driving at 155mph would normally get Eric Barton into an awful lot of trouble. But the TV presenter and motoring journalist was in no danger of getting a speeding ticket as he tested three new cars on Gloucestershire Airport’s runway. Staverton-based dealership, Mercedes-Benz of Cheltenham and Gloucester, provided the cars for the day.
AIRPORT EXPANSION PLANS DISCUSSED
5th November 2009
Plans to lengthen the runways at Gloucestershire Airport and open them up to the commercial business flights are to be discussed.
MANX2.COM 2nd ANNIVERSARY AND 40000th PASSENGER
23rd October 2009
Gloucestershire Airport proudly celebrated the 2nd anniversary of Manx2.com's scheduled operator flights from Gloucester to the Isle of Man and Jersey and it also celebrated the 40,000th passenger to have travelled from Gloucester to IOM.
RARE BIRD VISITS COUNTY'S AIRPORT
7th October 2009
Air enthusiasts at Gloucestershire Airport were treated to a rare sight, when the Farnborough Aircraft F1 Kestrel prototype aircraft, tail number N352F passed through last weekend.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE SKIES GRACED BY YOUNG FLYERS
26th September 2009
Six Gloucestershire young carers and fourteen aspiring engineers from Marling School, Stroud took to the skies on Saturday as part of the national Young Aviators weekend.
HELICOPTER FIRM CREATES 80 JOBS
24th September 2009
Eighty new jobs have been created at a Gloucestershire-based helicopter specialist after it secured five new long-term contracts worth £153m.
TEWKESBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL APPROVES AIRPORT RUNWAY
SAFETY PROJECT PLANS - UPDATE
29th May 2009
Tewkesbury Borough Council's Planning Committee yesterday voted to permit the one remaining planning application lodged by Gloucestershire Airport in relation to its Runway Safety Project.
TEWKESBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL APPROVES AIRPORT RUNWAY
SAFETY PROJECT PLANS
30th April 2009
Tewkesbury Borough Council's Planning Committee today voted to permit three of the four planning applications lodged by Gloucestershire Airport in relation to its Runway Safety Project.
'JUMBO' JETS FROM GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT
9th April 2009
Staff at Gloucestershire Airport were on standby today to whisk an urgent and unusual consignment onto a waiting turboprop. Just minutes after the precious cargo arrived by road, it was airborne and on its way to France with a team of supporting personnel.
This time critical treatment is normally reserved for VIP's and organ transplants, but this flight was rather different. A team from the International Zoo and Wildlife Institute in Berlin, as part of their internationally acclaimed research work on assisted reproductive techniques in elephants, were transporting elephant semen from West Midlands Safari Park, near Bewdley to Beauval Zoo, near Tours.
West Midlands Safari Park Director of Wildlife, Bob Lawrence said; "These are groundbreaking techniques and flying the veterinary team by private plane from Gloucestershire Airport to Tours was the best way to achieve the task. The material however cannot, for obvious reasons, be allowed to pass through an X Ray machine and we arranged with the Airport staff to clear this in advance because it is essential that we weren't delayed."
DOWN HATHERLEY CRICKET CLUB REVEALS NEW CLUB SPONSOR
9th April 2009
Down Hatherley Cricket Club is pleased to announce the arrival of its new club sponsor for the next three seasons - Gloucestershire Airport!
The village team approached a number of local businesses for support and Gloucestershire Airport stepped in to help.
Cricket Club chairman, Paul Hathaway said "We are delighted to have Gloucestershire Airport as a partner and we are all looking forward to developing the relationship over the next three years. Down Hatherley Cricket Club is proud to boast some of the finest village cricketing facilities in Gloucestershire and we are always looking for ways to improve and grow both on and off the field and this seemed a natural progression. The club welcomes new players of any age or ability, so if you would like to join Down Hatherley Cricket Club then you can contact us through the web site.
GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTS AIRPORT RUNWAY SAFETY PROJECT
16th January 2009
Gloucester City Council last night voted to support the Airport s Runway Safety Project.
The meeting was temporarily suspended and all members of the public were ejected from the chamber after jeering anti-airport campaigners interrupted the debate. Voting continued behind closed doors, with all bar one Councillor voting in favour of the project.
Airport Director, Mark Ryan said "We welcome this decision. This project is essential to the future of the Airport in terms of safety, our ability to deliver increased profitability to the shareholders and the economic prosperity of the region as a whole. With fellow shareholders, Cheltenham Borough Council already having supported our business case last year, we are poised to move the project onto the next stage. We still have more work to do, but this is a major milestone."
GREEN LIGHT FOR RUNWAY SAFETY PROJECT
6th December 2008
Gloucester City Council s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee Airport Scrutiny Task and Finish Group last night unanimously supported Gloucestershire Airport s Runway Safety Project.
The meeting lasted more than three hours and the Committee heard representations from the Airport, anti-Airport campaigners, Chambers of Commerce, business leaders, economic experts, members of the public and senior representatives from Cheltenham Borough Council, whose Cabinet has already given the project their support.
Airport Director, Mark Ryan said "We re delighted with the Groups endorsement of our plans. It is clear that members have recognised the important role the Airport plays in the region and are supportive of the Runway Safety Project. This decision will help to secure the future of the Airport both operationally and financially, at a time when economic uncertainty is a matter of global concern."
The recommendations also included caveats to ensure the formal adoption of a Green Policy to control the environmental impacts of the Airport and a land swap mechanism, to be agreed with Cheltenham Borough Council, relating to a small parcel of land required for the project, which is currently owned solely by Gloucester City.
Head of Operations, Darren Lewington added "We acknowledge that there is a concern amongst local residents that we will be accommodating larger passenger aircraft and extending the Airport s opening hours. This is not the case and we are happy to accept limitations on our operations through our Green Policy to ensure this, provided we retain the operational flexibility our customers demand."
The Committee s recommendations will go to Cabinet later this month and to full Council in the New Year.
STEVE NOUJAIM ATTEMPTS TO BREAK LONDON TO CAPE TOWN AND RETURN RECORD
5th December 2008
In 1939 Alex Henshaw challenged the world to beat his record breaking flight from London to Capetown and back again in under 79 hours, solo in a single engined 200 hp propeller driven aeroplane.
Until now no one has taken up that challenge.
However, this is about to change and Steve Noujaim is going to accept that challenge.
MANX2.COM BUCKS THE TREND BY EXPANDING KEY MANX ROUTE
3rd November 2008
Manx2.com is to add further services to its timetable between the Isle of Man and Gloucester (M5) in response to record booking levels. From 24th November extra flights will now leave the Isle of Man at 1110 on Monday, 1410 on Thursday and 1340 on a Friday, and depart Gloucester (M5) for the return legs at 1230, 1540 and1505 respectively. This makes a total of 3 flights in both directions on these key travel days. The route has been very successful since it started just over a year ago, carrying twenty thousand customers in total.
YOUNG CARERS TAKE TO THE SKIES
08 May 2008
Twenty of Gloucestershire's young carers will take to the skies on Saturday as part of the national Young Aviator's weekend. Members of the Gloucester branch of the Light Aircraft Association, based at Staverton, will offer free flights to the youngsters.
Many young carers take responsibility for the care of a family member, usually a relative parent, brother or sister, grandparent etc. who cannot manage independently due to a disability, long- term illness, mental ill-health, drug or alcohol dependency. Co-ordinating the event is registered charity Gloucestershire Young Carers which provides support, advice and respite for the carers, some as young as twelve.
Gloucestershire Airport's Director, Mark Ryan said; "This is a great opportunity for these deserving youngsters to experience something a bit different. We're delighted to be able to host this event. Our local pilots are very generously giving their time and aircraft and we ve waived our normal landing fees. We're hoping for good weather so the carers and their families can have an enjoyable day."
The Light Aircraft Association organises the Young Aviator's event every year to encourage youngsters to learn about and experience general aviation.
TEWKESBURY COUNCIL BACKS AIRPORT PLANS
22 April 2008
The Airport management team has welcomed Tewkesbury Borough Council's publication of a report analysing the Airport's Runway Safety Project.
The report, by consultants York Aviation, was commissioned by the Council as part of its consideration of Planning Applications lodged by the Airport, to address longstanding safety and operational problems at the Staverton site. The report is broadly supportive of the plans, concluding that:
- Without implementing safety measures, the Airport risks losing its operating license, which would prevent its use by Public Transport flights. The CAA is likely to seek measures to overcome all of the variations to the license over time, and the applications submitted are designed to pre-empt this.
- Although some of the planning applications could be determined individually, we view them as a comprehensive package to overcome the variations which concern the CAA. Whilst all the developments would fall in Green Belt area, we see these as special circumstances to ensure safety standards are met at the facility.
- Although it may be possible for the Airport to impose restrictive measures on runway length to overcome some or all of the variations, these risk a significant downturn in air traffic, and consequently may jeopardise the economic viability of the site.
- Implementation of all these measures will then not only mitigate safety variations to the satisfaction of the CAA but also enable the airport business and the operations of key business users to continue viably. It is our opinion that solutions proposed within the planning applications are sound, practical and represent an optimal and affordable package of measures to this end.
- The main runway will be restricted to a Code 2 runway and its length will then be, by default, too short to support mainstream scheduled or charter operations with larger aircraft. Future airport operations will then likely remain similar in type to those of today with environmental benefits attained, over time, from the evolution of new technology as new and improved engines and air frames are introduced by operators.
Head of Operations, Darren Lewington said: - "This is a welcomed and independent endorsement of our proposals, further dispelling the myth that we re expanding the Airport. Our plans will have minimal environmental impact and will secure the future of this important regional business asset."
MANX2.COM REACHES 100,000 CUSTOMERS
16 April 2008
Manx2.com has just reached a major milestone with the 100,000th customer having flown on one of the company’s seven routes from the Isle of Man.
The company now books customers on routes to Belfast (City and International), Blackpool, Leeds, Gloucester (M5), Nottingham East Midlands and Jersey.
"When we launched the business from scratch in July 2006 we offered three routes, and around 72 services each week", says communications director, James Filleul.
"That’s grown in less than two years to seven routes which have seen more than 100,000 passengers, and our new summer timetable offers at least 184 flights every week for our customers to choose from, and fares from just £15 (online single including tax)".
AIRPORT FACES MUNSTER SCRUMMAGE
08 April 2008
As dejected Cherry and Whites fans made their way home from Kingsholm, Gloucestershire Airport staff faced a further onslaught from the Munster hoards.
More than 500 fans and the Munster players used the County's Airport making it a recordbreaking day at Staverton. Irish airline, Aer Arann sent 4 of its 80-seater ATR 72 turboprops and a dozen more charter, private and executive aircraft made the trip from Cork and Shannon. The team arrived on Friday, signing autographs for waiting fans. They also left a signed rugby shirt, which will be displayed in the Airport Departure Lounge.
Head of Operations, Darren Lewington said; - "It was a very busy weekend. We handled more passengers on Saturday than ever before in a single day."
On Saturday evening, it looked very much like the chaos at Heathrow's Terminal 5, as coach loads of fans crammed into our tiny terminal. Fortunately, these travellers were in fine fettle and good humour following their win and weren't kept waiting for long.
Operationally, the ATR72 is about the largest aeroplane that the Airport can accommodate, but four at once left us very short of parking space. We had to extend the opening hours to allow the aircraft to depart after the match and the Munster team's flight was the last to take at 1020pm.
Campaigners opposed to the Airport's Runway Safety Project have expressed concerns that bosses are trying to expand the business to attract this type of traffic regularly, but Airport Director, Mark Ryan, dismissed the fears.
He said; - "This match, and the Cheltenham races, are very much special events. We simply don't have the infrastructure or staff to accommodate these sized flights on a regular basis. Our 19-seater scheduled services to the Isle of Man, Jersey and Belfast City are the niche market the County needs."
"As a Gloucester fan, though, I very much hope we can progress further in next year s competition and, perhaps, fly some of the home fans to away fixtures."
PARISH COUNCILLORS VIP AIRPORT TOUR
03 April 2008
Forty Parish Councillors, representing the various communities around Gloucestershire Airport were invited to attend a guided tour of the Staverton site last week.
The Airport management team gave a presentation and coach tour of the facilities in a bid to promote awareness of the Airport, its role and future development plans.
Head of Operations, Darren Lewington said; “It’s clear that there are some misconceptions in the public domain about the Airport and our development plans. We wanted the opportunity to demonstrate exactly what we’re about.
Our visitors were able to see for themselves a good cross section of the aircraft that use the Airport, from light training aircraft to multi million dollar Executive Jets. We were also able to drive the coach onto the main runway and see first hand the hazards at both ends of the runway that our Runway Safety Project will address.”
Chairman of Up Hatherley Parish Council, Stewart Fowler said; - “It is no exaggeration that we were all amazed to discover the true story behind the proposed improvements to safety at the airfield. Having heard and read all kinds of scaremongering about the project, it was good to hear and see the truth for ourselves.”
Airport Director, Mark Ryan, was pleased with the response. He said: “We’ve had excellent feedback from all the attendees. There’s strong support for the Airport within our local communities and strong opposition against any housing developments on the site.
We’ll be inviting Councillors from Cheltenham Borough and Gloucester City Councils, and the Senior Officers of both to similar events in the coming weeks. We feel it is essential that those charged with making key decisions, which could affect the Airport’s future, have a full understanding of our business and operations.”
An Information Pack about the visit is available (PDF Format). This is a large file, so you may wish to right click on the link and choose "Save target as" to download it.
AIRPORT INTRODUCES GREEN INCENTIVES
02 April 2008
Gloucestershire Airport has introduced a number of new incentives to encourage pilots to ‘go green’ and reduce noise.
Landing Fees for aircraft fitted with diesel engines, silencers and noise-reducing propellers will be reduced by 20%.
Head of Operations, Darren Lewington said; - “We’ve committed the Airport to developing a Green policy, as part of our Runway Safety Project and this is our first step in a series of planned initiatives.
The aviation industry is responding to the challenges of climate change by developing new technologies and we want to encourage our customers to adopt them. Diesel engines burn up to 60% less fuel than traditional piston engines and are slowly entering the marketplace.
Light aircraft noise is a concern for some of our neighbours. Silencers are available on the market and even mandatory in some European countries, but the UK seems to be lagging behind. Often, the Civil Aviation Authority’s certification and approval processes are prohibitively expensive for small operators, but we’re hoping that our incentives will make a difference.
Our newest tenant, Wilksch Airmotive has developed, and is now manufacturing a lightweight diesel engine at the Airport. Their products are approved for use in Light Sport Aircraft and will offer flying schools and private operators much improved fuel efficiency.
Obviously, the introduction of manufacturing industry on-site, in a field at the cutting edge of technology is good for the Airport, its customers, our neighbours and the environment.”
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