Airport chief rejects claims ‘flight schools are being pushed away and business is being run down for housing’
Ahead of a decision on the future of Gloucestershire Airport its boss has rejected claims the Staverton site, home to numerous successful businesses, is being readied to be sold for housing.
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Gloucestershire Airport’s managing director Jason Ivey has dispelled concerns small operators are being “pushed away” and “the site will be sold for housing”.
A decision on the sale of the Staverton airport, which is jointly owned by Cheltenham Borough and Gloucester City Council, is due late in June.
There has been concern over the years that the site near Churchdown, once sold by the local authorities, could be carved up for housing.
People working at the airport have also expressed their concerns over rising costs and fear there is a concerted effort to get the small operators off the airfield.
However, Mr Ivey, who took on the top job at the site in 2023, has categorically rejected these claims and labelled them “mischief making”.
He explained that landing fees have increased because the airport was running at a loss and could not afford such cheap rates.
The managing director, who has been in talks with potential buyers for the site, also said there will be strong clauses which would prevent the site from being used for anything other than aviation.
“The people running the airport are currently trying to get all the small operators off the airfield and run down the business most likely so they can sell off the land for housing development,” an airport worker, who did not wish to be named, said.
“Some of the schools will soon not be able to afford to operate here. The current management is imposing very specific charges that feel like they are aimed at certain people.
“The smaller operators, the flight schools in particular, have a lot of concerns.
“They say their movements are up but all of the flight schools are leaving flying somewhere else doing their training at different airfields such as Kemble.
“It’s killing the small businesses. It’s getting to the point where it’s very ridiculous.”
Mr Ivey refuted those comments. “It’s disappointing to see that,” he said.
“We don’t want to run the operators off. Are we making changes which are not always palatable, yes, we are, but we absolutely aren’t trying to force people out.”
Mr Ivey said the airport is being sold as a going concern and there will be requirements in the sales particulars which will prevent or massively deter anyone from operating anything there other than an airport.
“I think there’s a lot of emotion with these comments,” he said. “We’re not targeting individuals at all.
“We are drawing a line in the sand and saying these are the new fees. This is the way the airport operated.
“Just the last two months we dropped our fuel price by 3L, which is very substantial to try and encourage people to buy fuel here.”
Mr Ivey, who took on the role in July 2023 initially on an interim basis, is now full member of the board and “wants to see it flourish and develop into what it could be in private ownership”.
He said he along with council leaders have met with the potential buyers.
“I can categorically tell you the airport will be sold as a going concern,” he said. “I’ve been involved in the process with Savills and met all the would-be buyers over the last six months.
“We have made the point very clear that this is not about a land grab. Anyone interested has to demonstrate they are going to take this on as a going concern.”
He said he believes there will be a clause in the sale which would mean if the new owner tries to do anything other than keep it as an operational airport there will be financial penalties.
“We are meeting with these individuals to weed out the people who cannot demonstrate and articulate it will be operated as an airport.”
Mr Ivey said the length of the sale has created a level of anxiety and uncertainty. “I can say that because my team are going through it. All of my staff and the tenants.”
He said the airport has seen unprecedented level of interest since the sale was announced and they have financially assessed all of the would-be bidders and have streamlined it down to two preferred bidders.
Mr Ivey said he was tasked with reviewing all aspects of the airport when he took on the role of managing director. “I was looking at all the line items of cost and revenue,” he said.
“One of the items we were down on was our aeronautical revenue. We get our money from landing fees, parking and fuel sold,” he said.
He said the landing fees have been the same since April 2023 and after comparing it to other similar airports he found they were very cheap. Mr Ivey said he did not feel it was right to put up the fees until December last year.
“There is a general acceptance that the cost of everything goes up. Some of the tenants aren’t happy about that, and I understand why.”
He said he explained to them he had to do something as it would be remiss of him to preside over a loss making business. “I put the fees up in line with comparable airports,” he said.
“Everyone is paying their fees but I think it may have caused a little bit of angst with some tenants.” He said Gloucestershire Airport is the busiest general aviation airport in the UK.
Last year they recorded more than 68,000 movements and he said they have no control on the air space above them. “It’s like common land in the sky, if you like. Apart from the immediate area above the airport, rotary and fixed wing aircraft are free to fly where they want.
“Because we were so busy, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) made us impose some restrictions on movements. We had a number of air proxes. This is when one aircraft gets too close to another.
“Clearly, undesirable. Not all of those were our fault and some where several miles off the airport but were associated with Gloucestershire Airport.”
He said analysis found there were peaks in air traffic at the airport between 10am and 2pm in the afternoon. They put restrictions in place under the CAA to “flatten that bell curve”.
Mr Ivey said the changes can be seen as quite significant for some operators. But after introducing these “traffic calming measures” he says their movements have actually increased.
“Unfortunately there is a negative spin by some people that Gloucestershire doesn’t welcome, and you can’t get in. Yes you have to book slots but we can absolutely accommodate the same level of traffic.
“We are doing more than we did this time last year.” He believes these factors have created a degree of frustration among some tenants.
Mr Ivey said he has held meetings with them to address their concerns. “There are some things we can’t flex on, for example the prices, we just can’t keep on charging the old fashioned prices.”
By Carmelo Garcia, local democracy reporter for Gloucestershire. carmelo.garcia@reachplc.com