Abandoned UK airport to reopen after £750m project

It was closed in 2014

The opening date for Manston Airport has been pushed back by another year, and is expected to open again in 2029.

This is due to “complexity of planning work, changes to the cost of the works and turbulence within the financial markets”, it has been revealed.

It has been out of function for more than the decade, as the historic airport has been closed since 2014.

Final discussions are “underway with a preferred, European-based funding partner”, as the project is reportedly in the final stage.

“RiverOak Strategic Partners expects Manston Airport to be operational in 2029, with consultation on proposed airspace to get underway in March 2026”, Tony Freudmann from airport owners RSP said.

“Manston represents 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”, he added.

“RSP remains keen to get Manston open as soon as possible. However, we are realistic about the complexity of delivering a major infrastructure project. There are no shortcuts to reopening the airport, in a sustainable way, for the long term and delays can unfortunately become a part of the process of getting it right.”

The current project proposal cost is £750million.

Originally, the airport was a RAF base built in 1916. Until its closing in 2014, it operated as a commercial terminal unit.

In recent years, it was used as a car park for the ferry port, and as a set for the 2022 film Empire of Light.

It was then used as an emergency holding facility for thousands of lorries that were parked there, in response to the disruption caused by the closure of the French borders in 2020.