page_title: Blackpool Airport
section_title: Development of the airport between 2005 and 2010
hierarchical_section_title: Blackpool Airport / History / Development of the airport between 2005 and 2010
caption_attribution_description: RAF jet at Blackpool Airport
context_page_description: Blackpool Airport is an airport on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport and Blackpool International Airport.
  Ownership of the airport has changed a number of times over the years. The airport was wholly owned by Blackpool Borough Council until 2004, when it was sold to a consortium led by Wolverhampton Airport operators City Hopper Ltd, who operated it until May 2008 when Balfour Beatty purchased MAR Property's 95% stake. Blackpool Borough Council retained 5%. During 2014 Balfour Beatty claimed to be looking for a buyer for the airport, and then after just one month announced that it was to close the Airport. On 15 October 2014, the airport's terminal and Air Traffic Control provision was closed, with the last scheduled flights to Dublin and the Isle of Man leaving in the late afternoon. In November 2014, the former company formed a new company, called Squires Gate Airport Operations Ltd, and the airport reopened once again in December 2014 for non-commercial operations.
context_section_description: In the first decade of the 21st century, the airport steadily expanded, accommodating further helicopter operations for British Gas and attracting scheduled flights from budget airlines Jet2 and Ryanair. Since World War II, the airport has also been a centre for private, club, and general aviation.
  In 2005, Jet2 became the first major low cost airline to base an aircraft at Blackpool Airport. This created around 50 new jobs and boosted passenger numbers. It used to serve seven destinations from the airport—five in Spain (Palma, Alicante, Murcia, Tenerife South, Málaga), one in Portugal (Faro), and a domestic service to Belfast.
  Also in 2005, Monarch set up a new route to Málaga, three times a week. The airline ceased services after a year, blaming low passenger numbers. However, Jet2 had earlier announced that it would be operating flights to Málaga.
  Until January 2006 an Avro Vulcan bomber (registration: XL391) was on static external display close to the entrance to the airport. XL391's last operational role was at Ascension Island during the Falklands Conflict in 1982; however, it only flew as a backup aircraft and never actually went to the Falklands. It was put up for sale in October 2004 on eBay and purchased by Manchester pub landlord Chris Ollerenshaw (for £15,102.03), who had intentions to transport it to his pub and display it in his beer garden. However, after finding out that the condition of the aircraft was so poor that moving it would be extremely challenging and that it would cost over £20,000, in addition to the reported £1000 a week storage charge, Ollerenshaw pulled out of the deal and later relinquished ownership of the plane back to the airport. The Vulcan was then sold on for scrap for £4,800, and was completely removed from the site and scrapped on 12 January 2006.
  During 2006, British North West Airlines, the smallest airline based at Blackpool, stopped trading for both charter and scheduled flights. Flights to the Isle of Man were taken over by Citywing up to three times a day, with an onward connection to Belfast City. Citywing brought low fares to the Isle of Man and Belfast routes and passenger numbers on these route vastly increased in January 2007.
  With the growth of the airport, a new carrier, operating under the name Jetstream Express, introduced flights in 2007 to Belfast City Airport (from May), Aberdeen Airport (from June) and Southampton Airport (from July). The Belfast route was in competition with Jet2, who operated a twice daily service to Northern Ireland. Two Jetstream 31s were based at the airport to support the operation, however, the service ended in June 2007 as the routes had not proved viable.
  In 2007, Jet2 cancelled its Prague and Amsterdam services, blaming insufficient passenger numbers.
  The airport was owned and operated by City Hopper Airports Limited, which also owns Wolverhampton Airport and Biella Airport in Italy, until January 2007, when it was placed under new management after one of its two major shareholders bought out its partner. MAR Properties Ltd agreed terms to take over full control of Blackpool and Wolverhampton Airports. In May 2008, it was announced that Balfour Beatty, who also owned Exeter Airport and Londonderry Eglinton Airport, had purchased MAR Property's 95% stake in the airport; the remaining 5% stake was held by Blackpool Borough Council.
  On 6 May 2008, Balfour Beatty bought the 95% stake of the airport off CityHopper Airports Ltd for £14 million. The construction company also owned Exeter Airport.
  On 18 July 2008, the Blackpool Gazette announced that Jet2 planned to suspend its daily service from Blackpool to Belfast International for the winter. A dip in passenger numbers and the rising price of oil had taken its toll on the service. According to the newspaper, Jet2 would restart the daily Belfast service from March 2009.
  In the summer of 2008 Ryanair announced a large cut in capacity at a number of airports, including Stansted, from October 2008 to March 2009, although Blackpool was not affected by these cuts. However, on 25 November 2008, Ry
caption: RAF Hawk jet at Blackpool Airport (2008).
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