Site icon Inside Croydon

Biggin Hill suffers delayed take-off for fare-paying flights

insidecroydon

Biggin Hill Airport appears set to challenge a decision to block it from operating fare-paying passenger flights.

Flight delays: Biggin Hill’s application to extend its use was refused

The application for a change of permitted use was rejected by Bromley Council last week over concerns that an increase in flights and use of larger aircraft would affect noise levels and pollution.

Possibly the most famous of south-east England’s Battle of Britain RAF bases, today Biggin Hill is licensed to handle only business charter flights and private aircraft.

Bromley Council is the airport company’s landlord. In 2001, council won an action in the Court of Appeal which ruled that the airport operators should be prohibited from allowing tickets to be sold for flights into and out of the airport, thus preventing its use for scheduled or holiday charter flights, but allowing business aviation and corporate shuttles.

The council executive rejected the application because, according to Graham Arthur, the Tory councillor in charge of resources and contract management, “The council will continue to balance the twin aims of encouraging our business community to flourish, whilst safeguarding our environment and protecting our residents’ best interests.”

A spokesperson for the airport said: “Our proposal was clear that any shared flights would have been within all existing noise, flight and aircraft limits as already agreed with the local community.

“It was simply a change in how certain flights would be paid for.”


Exit mobile version