NEWS\\\


Issue 4 2014 - Freight Business Journal


Manston owners ‘obstructed sale’


Thanet North MP Sir Roger Gale told the House of Commons on 14 May that the owners of closure- threatened Manston Airport had been obstructive to interest from buyers that could keep it open. During Prime Minister’s Questions he said that the Gloag Foundation, which bought Manston last November, had been “reluctant to negotiate” with US-based RiverOak Investment Corporation, which is understood to have tabled an initial bid for £5m, and a further, improved offer, believed to be around £7m. Manston closed at 5pm on 15


May. The day before, Sir Roger had asked the Prime Minister to ensure that the Civil Aviation Authority operating licence be kept current, as cancelling the licence would greatly increase the cost and complexity of restarting operations. However, a CAA spokesman told FBJ that with Manston’s operator saying that it no longer required a licence, it had been withdrawn on 15 May, and the CAA had informed pilots through official channels that the airport was now closed and not to be used. Prime Minister David Cameron


did say that the government “would do everything in its power” to help keep the airport open and that he would arrange for secretary of


state for transport, Patrick McLoughlin to speak to both the


current owner and the potential buyer, although any decision on Manston’s future was ultimately a decision for the private sector. Meanwhile, a Save Manston


Airport campaign is urging the local council to take out a compulsory purchase order to prevent the airport being redeveloped for other uses. Manston airport was acquired


last November by the Gloag Foundation, a vehicle owned by transport entrepreneur Ann Gloag, for a nominal £1 but has been heavily loss-making following a downturn in freighter flights and the failure of scheduled passenger business to materialise. The Unite trade union’s regional


officer Ian McCoulough said that the opaque ownership structure set up by the Gloag Foundation, with two subsidiary companies, had made life difficult for potential bidders, adding that the owners’ real desire was to sell the airport for other uses, rather than as an operational airport. Manston, with its long runway


was useful to full freighter operators unable to access busier London airports, while its closeness to the Continent cuts costs for carriers. It has however suffered from a reduction in flights by main user Saudia Cargo and British Airways’ decision to stop operating its own chartered freighters.


New air security rules still ‘cause for concern’ 3


With Europe’s new ACC3 security regime due to come into force on 1 July, how well are the thousands of airlines outside Europe prepared, asks director of EU public affairs at Rapiscan Systems, Robert Wright. “We are somewhat concerned, as there are thousands of carriers around the world to which it applies,” he told FBJ in an interview in mid-May. He pointed out, too, that the


new requirements could apply to carriers who do not physically fly to Europe themselves, as they also apply to connecting airlines – so the task of ensuring that all airlines have the correct, accredited security regime in place and an appropriate scanning process that meets EU standards, is a very large one. The ACC3 regulations apply to countries where existing security regimes are deemed to


be adequate and will apply to cargo flying to all airports in the European Economic Area, which includes the EU and a number of other European countries such as Norway and Switzerland. Without ACC3 accreditation, might be


aircraſt refused


permission to take off for Europe or even, possibly, refused permission to land and turned back, if it came to light that they had non-ACC3-


compliant cargo on board. Carriers could also be held responsible and fined if they are found to have non- ACC3 cargo on board. The new regulations come in


the wake of the Yemen ‘printer cartridge’ incident in October 2010, in which bombs were discovered en route to the US on board express parcels’ operators aircraſt, at East Midlands Airport and in Dubai.


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