Abandoned UK airport reopens after nearly a decade as bosses ‘watch budget flights to Europe’
Abandoned UK airport reopens after nearly a decade as bosses ‘watch budget flights to Europe’
- Manston will reopen as a cargo airport in 2026, with five daily flights
- Bosses hope to offer passenger flights to popular holiday destinations by 2028
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After nearly a decade, an abandoned British airport is reopening with bosses looking to offer cheap passenger flights to Europe.
Manston Airport, which served as a home base for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the world wars, is being renovated and hopes to reopen in 2026.
The estimated £500 million could result in affordable flights from Kent to holiday hotspots including the Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus and Malta, The Sun reported.
Airport owners RiverOak Strategic Partners want the facility to open initially as a cargo airport, with five flights a day. If the project proves profitable, owners aim to offer passenger routes by 2028.
After nearly a decade, the abandoned Manston Airport is reopening with bosses looking to offer cheap passenger flights to Europe
The estimated £500 million could result in affordable flights from Kent to holiday hotspots including the Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus and Malta
Manston is undergoing a “massive renovation” before being operational again.
As the facility has received few updates since the RAF’s departure in 1999, officials must update the airport’s terminals and runways.
Crews will also have to demolish existing buildings and build new roads better equipped to handle heavy traffic.
While the airport is still years away from offering passenger flights, bosses are said to be in talks with budget carriers such as Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air.
Dutch company KLM could also be one of the carriers returning to the facility, the data shows.
MailOnline has reached out to RiverOak Strategic Partners for comment.
Manston Airport, which served as a home base for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the world wars, is undergoing renovation and hopes to reopen in 2026
Airport owners RiverOak Strategic Partners want the facility to open initially as a cargo airport, with five flights a day. If the project proves profitable, owners aim to offer passenger routes by 2028
The airport, historically known as RAF Manston, was first used in 1916 during the First World War. The facility was used again during World War II due to its proximity to the English Channel.
Nearly destroyed and littered with unexploded bombs, Manston suffered one of the worst bombings of any airfield in the 1940s, during the Battle of Britain, and has a rich history of flying.
It was regularly used by badly damaged aircraft because it was so close to the front line and had a long runway, making it an emergency landing for east coast bomber crews.
There have been persistent rumors of a mutiny in Manston during the Battle of Britain, with claims that the ground crew were so angered by the constant attacks on the airfield that they lost morale.
It has been suggested that the men refused to come out of their air raid shelter and only emerged when threatened by an officer with a gun. However, claims of any mutiny have never been proven.
The airport also served as the location where Dambusters ace Sir Barnes Wallace conducted tests on the revolutionary bouncing bomb during World War II.
Most recently, the site has been used as a filming location and was featured in Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light last year.
The airport has also been used as a parking lot for lorry drivers stuck between France and the UK.