News: Coventry Airport confident of securing green light for new terminal
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Flights > News > # 1843 (24/07/2008)
The boss of Coventry Airport is confident the Midlands facility will be given the green light to build a new terminal building capable of handling up to two million passengers a year.
A High Court hearing taking place this week will finally decide whether Coventry Airport is allowed to expand.
Airport bosses have gone to the High Court following last year’s shock decision by the Government’s chief planning inspector to block the terminal bid.
Coventry Airport chief executive, Chris Orphanou, said the hearing was going extremely well.
Speaking to the Coventry Telegraph, he said: “The main point of our argument is that the recommendations made last year were flawed.
“They said that if Birmingham is so near there was no need for Coventry to exist, but there are lots of examples round the country of neighbouring airports being successful and complementing each other.
Mr Orphanou said another issue raised had been a lack of public transport links to the airport, but there would be little incentive to rectify that without permission to grow and bring in more carriers. He added that the airport already ran a shuttle bus service to the airport from both Coventry’s central bus station and railway station.
Mr Orphanou said: “Thomsonfly have seen the potential of the airport and have introduced four new destinations from next year, which is a reflection of their confidence in the airport and ours in the business.”
Once presiding judge Mr Justice Forbes has heard arguments from both sides at the High Court in London, he will make recommendations to the government. A final decision is likely to be made at the start of next year.
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