Exeter airport outlines growth plans

[August 18th 2008]

Exeter airport is presenting its Master Plan to Devon County Council today, outlining its plans for expansion at the airport.

Exeter airport’s Master Plan is currently undergoing a public consultation until September 30th. All comments and observations received by that date will be considered for incorporation into the adopted Master Plan, which will be published this winter.

In the Master Plan, Exeter airport forecasts that passenger numbers will grow from 1.05 million passengers in 2007, to 1.9 million in 2015 and 3.4 million in 2030. The airport expects the number of air traffic movements to increase from 18,600 in 2007 to 24,750 in 2015 and 38,000 in 2030.

To enable growth and development, the airport says it will need to expand outside its current boundary into land to the south east. Studies on the effect of the airport’s expansion on noise and air quality have indicated that there will only be minimal impact on local communities.

As part of the Master Plan, Exeter airport will also encourage greater use of public transport to travel to the airport. Its target is to reduce travel by private car from 80% in 2007 to 60% by 2030.

As well as presentations about the Master Plan by representatives of Regional and City Airports, owners of Exeter airport, Devon County Council will also hear reports from regional airline Flybe, which is based at Exeter.

With a strike set to hit Gatwick, Stansted and other airports around the UK, Flybe says that its bookings for the August Bank Holiday weekend are expected to be up by about 10% compared to 2007.

“Holidaymakers are indeed rethinking their travel plans this year and, by voting with their feet, are making informed choices about their travel options,” comments Flybe chief commercial officer, Mike Rutter.

“Flybe continues to offer great value for money travel from convenient regional airports and, in our commitment to passenger transparency, we have also taken the lead with the industry’s environmental responsibilities. Flybe is becoming the thinking-person’s way to travel without the anxieties and airport scrums associated with ‘legacy’ and alternative low cost carriers,” Rutter adds.

Written by: Nick Purdom

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