Manston Airport

Profile

www.manstonairport.com
Manston Airport is near Ramsgate in the east of Kent, England. It is approximately 110 km east of London.

Facilities

The Airport's key physical and operational capabilities are:

Runway

Single 2,752 metres x 61 metres - recently resurfaced and remarked. This runway is sufficiently long and wide to service B747s and A380s.

Aprons: New passenger terminal apron capable holding of 4 X B737s or 3 B747s.

Separate large freight terminal apron and standing areas capable of holding 3 to 4 widebody aircraft. A number of other hardstanding areas are suitable for aircraft parking up to B747 size are in place around the airfield.

Air Traffic Control and Navigation

Instrument Landing System (ILS) Category 1 on both runways (i.e East to West and West to East). Non-directional beacons (NDB) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) are also installed. A full Air Traffic Service is provided including approach and radar control.

Fire Services

Three fire tenders and crew, ICAO and UK CAA compliant up to Category 9 fire cover, consistent with widebody freight and narrow body passenger jet operations.

Land Area: The total area is 296 hectares:

Approximately 20 hectares inside perimeter fence is available for airport related development (esp. additional freight facilities)

46 hectares of immediately adjacent land is used for aircraft storage (connected by an apron across a road) and is developable for airport purposes.

Other Facilities

Various hangars and minor buildings leased on short terms to airport users and service providers.

Passenger Facilities

Manston has a recently refurbished 2,800 square metre single level terminal capable of handling up to 700,000 passengers per annum. It has:

• Fully compliant baggage handling, bagga ge x-ray and passenger security equipment;
• 6 check in desks;
• Separate departures and arrivals areas;
• Food and beverage services, airport retail and an onsite travel agency;
• Excellent car parking facilities adjacent to the terminal providing for 1,000 vehicles with approval to further extend; and
• Customs and immigration based on site.

Freight Facilities

Manston has a new 3,200m2 cargo facility incorporating a fully licenced Border Inspection Post (BIP) adjoining the apron. The BIP allows the import and customs and veterinary clearance of meat and fish imports into the EU.

A separate older freight warehouse also adjoins the apron. This is suitable for import and export of general freight. A full range of aircraft handling equipment is maintained at KIA suitableto meet the handling requirements of passenger and freight aircraft up to B747 size.

Infrastructure Links and Travel Times

Manston is 1.5 kilometres from the dual carriageways (A299 then the M2), which provide fast road links to the M25 (London ring road) and central London. Drive time to the M25 is approximately 1 hour and driving to the London underground at North Greenwich Station takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Manston is within half an hour of Dover and Ramsgate ports (access to Europe).

London trains take 95 minutes to a station approximately 7 kilometres from KIA.

History of Manston

Manston Airport was known as Manston Airfield or RAF Manston. It became operational in 1916. It played a significant role during the Battle of Britain in World War II.
A concrete runway was built in 1943/44. Runways and taxiways received a major upgrade by the US Air Force that used the airfield in the 1950s.
Commercial operations - alongside the military - began in 1959. A customs area was introduced in 1960.

In 1998, the Ministry of Defence sold RAF Manston to Planestation PLC (formerly trading as the Wiggins Group). Planestation made significant investments at KIA but was forced into administration (an equivalent of receivership) in July 2005, principally by the failure of its start-up low cost airline, EU Jet.