Manston Airport Eyes a Return

Manston Airport in Kent is moving through a new consultation stage as plans to reopen the long-closed site continue. The former RAF base shut in 2014 and has not handled scheduled passenger flights since then. RiverOak Strategic Partners, which owns the airport, now aims to bring operations back in 2029, although the first phase would focus on air freight.

The airport’s reopening had previously been expected earlier, but the timeline has shifted because of higher construction costs and tougher financial conditions. The current Stage 3 consultation looks at airspace design and flight procedures, including how aircraft would be seen and heard around East Kent. Residents near Ramsgate and Herne Bay have until 22 June 2026 to comment.

RSP says Manston would reopen as a dedicated freight hub, with potential capacity of around one million tonnes of cargo a year once fully operational. Passenger flights are still possible later, but no airline has committed. The site previously handled regional services with carriers including KLM, EUjet, Flybe and Monarch, with its last scheduled flight to Amsterdam in April 2014.

If passenger services eventually return, Manston could give parts of Kent another airport option without needing to travel into London. Short European breaks, package holidays and visits to friends or family abroad would become more convenient for people in Thanet, Canterbury, Dover and surrounding towns. Coastal trips around Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate could also benefit if the airport brings more visitors into East Kent.

The important detail is timing. This is not a passenger airport comeback ready for next summer; it is a long freight-led reopening plan with possible travel benefits later. For now, the public review shows the project has not stalled, while giving local residents a formal way to raise concerns about noise, flight paths and the airport’s wider impact.