Frequently Asked Questions
Clarification on current events
Introduction
This page has been created off the back of intense discussions on our WhatsApp chat, which mirror similar discussions on other platforms. These discussions serve little purpose, are often unperceptive, and instigated by the younger/more naive members of our community (no offence intended!).
On this page individuals with experience in business and/or the aviation industry will try to provide clarity. That said, the below points are there to be challenged so if you have any evidence that discredits anything in this article, please do share it and we will happily make corrections/updates. This page will be periodically reviewed to reflect industry/operational changes.
Last updated: 10/05/2025
1) Spotting
a) "Where is a good place to spot from?"
i) We have a "Spotting Spots" document periodically updated - Click Here. More information on our Airport Info page.
b) "Which runway is in use?"
i) Check flight tracking apps
ii) Tune the ATIS on 132.375kHz
iii) Dial the ATIS on 01325 331054
b) "Do we have to be 3 metres or more away from the perimeter fence?"
i) Only around the main apron. Elsewhere please do not park in front of or otherwise block crash gates.
Last reviewed: 10/05/2025
2) Airline Expansion
a) Historic Challenges
| Challenge | On-Going? | |
| North East has lowest propensity to fly in the UK | Yes | |
| Airline consolidation at "safe haven" larger airports | Yes | |
| Catchment area "sandwich effect" with NCL/LBA | Yes | |
| "Critical [profitable] mass" remains 3 million PAX per year | Believed so |
Last reviewed: 06/05/2025
b) "Aircraft deliveries are hindering airline expansion"
i) Having previously discredited the notion that aircraft delivery delays were having an adverse impact on TIAs ability to attract new airlines and routes, we are now less sure. This coupled with various issues with new generation engines on already delivered aircraft appears to be more problematic for the airport than we first thought. The availability of second hand aircraft is not sufficient to cover the shortfall. That said, if an airline thought they could make enough money on a route they would find the means to operate it. Further research on our part required.
Last reviewed: 16/04/2025
c) "Teesside's Fees and Charges are expensive"
i) Passenger and freight carrying airlines never pay the advertised rates, and LCCs are renowned for paying nothing at all or even taking a cut of an airports concessions (hence the threshold for profitability previously being set at 3 million PAX per annum). Independent charter carriers are best for business but hard to come by. Ad-hoc movements have a high level of tolerence before price would drive them elsewhere. From a business point of view, the 2013 axing of holiday flights was (and unfortunately still would be) a no-brainer.
ii) Industry standard practice is to charge aircraft based on MTOW (Maximum Take Off Weight), therefore flying club and recreational aircraft are more adversely affected as there is little incentive to provide a deal when the income is already a fraction of that of other tenants.
Last reviewed: 16/04/2025
d) "Why don't [fill in the blank] base an aircraft?"
i) easyJet - When easyJet withdrew from Newcastle during Covid, a large carrot was dangled their way - they didn't bite. Now they're back at Newcastle and have since launched at Leeds Bradford too.
ii) Jet2 - The parameters are different for a package operator (and don't forget, Jet2 nowadays fit that description). Between 1997-2007 the airport had bases from Airtours and then Thomson for the latter couple of those years. During that same period both maintained concurrent bases at Newcastle and Leeds Bradford. Where Jet2 are concerned, MME is now a fairly major engineering base for them, if at the very least they repeated the FlyGlobespan Tenerife w-pattern from November 06, they could arrange it so the airframe that operated the route was the next one to rotate through either Willis or Airbourne. Ultimately Jet2 are unlikely to come here, but at the same time it's not as farfetched as people would have you believe. We wouldn't conclusively rule them out.
iii) Ryanair - MME on paper is a stereotypical Ryanair airport, however that ship has sailed since they opened bases at both Leeds Bradford and more recently Newcastle.
iv) TUI Airways - TUI would be the best fit for us. Around 2018 the senior management at the time told us in confidence they were close to an agreement, and this was alluded to in the press, but the takeover and then Covid got in the way. We have no sense of them wishing to expand from here at the present time.
v) Wizz Air - An effort was made to entice them when Doncaster Sheffield closed, and it's a real shame we couldn't persuade them given they were here previously.
vi) Further information - There are a core few Mediterranean routes that up to a certain point are immune to regional competition and to that end a captive market awaits anyone who wants to serve MME - but there enlies the problem - lack of potential carriers. Sure any half decent airline CEO established at NCL and/or LBA is going to look at their catchments perfectly overlapping right above MME and question the logic of opening a base here - yet there is something to be said for capacity overspill.
vii) Might it not be wise to have the cost saving of a single base at MME to tackle the full region from a central location, then bookend the catchment area with bases at Edinburgh to the north and Manchester, East Midlands or Birmingham to the south?!
e) Our current assessment is that we are a 750,000 PAX per year airport, although current market capacity available only offers around 250,000 PAX. Click Here to view our current route projections - again, open to challenge and reviewed regular.
Last reviewed: 06/05/2025
f) London - "Why did Loganair axe London Heathrow?"
i) Increased fees at Heathrow were quoted, but this didn't affect Derry, Dundee and Isle of Man although some of those are PSO routes. If memory serves at least one of those was launched shortly after ours was axed. The likelihood is the route was not profitable, but was building slowly and deserved more time. Heathrow requires two things; a 6am departure and the ability to connect - we had the latter although the agreement with British Airways was introduced too long after the route had started.
Last reviewed: 16/04/2025
g) "We have Amsterdam we don't need Heathrow" / "The two would compete" etc
i) The two ran alongside each other for well over 30 years with no issues. The market may have changed but not that much. Competition is good for business.
Last reviewed: 16/04/2025
3) Airport Operations
a) "We should be getting more diversions"
i) Yes this is probably correct although there are factors working against us. Unless a scheduled A320/B737 is due, the airport is limited by RFFS CAT6. CAT7 is available with notice - but how often do diversions offer sufficient notice?!
ii) Stand availability is a factor. Compliance prevents the western or even eastern aprons being used as overspill for regional jets and turboprops like in days gone by.
iii) Operational hours - the airport is not H24 although they are working towards it. Outside of daytime hours, the airport may also not have the staff to cope with a sudden influx of hundreds of unexpected passengers. This should fix itself as we grow over time.
iv) Airlines like to go where engineering is available - we thought the arrival of Willis would have alleviated this but it seems airlines actually like to go where their own engineers are available.
v) Border Force cover the airport from their Teesport base, and if they're not already on site they will only respond to a "definite" diversion rather than a "maybe".
Last reviewed: 16/04/2025
b) "We are incompentent at snow clearing"
i) On the one occasion it was required in the 2024/5 season, the airport opened within minutes of Newcastle with less and older equipment. Yes the equipment needs investment, but there are higher priorities for expenditure and the airports recent track record is good enough. For the sake of how often it's required (less and less as global warming worsens), is it even worth discussion? Spectators likely still recall the infamous winter of 2010 when we were closed for a prolonged period and lost a lot of flights, provoking Cobham to detach to NCL the following winter as a precaution.
Last reviewed: 16/04/2025
4) Financial Matters
a) "The amount of taxpayer money invested into the airport is unacceptable / unrecoverable"
i) Any aviation enthusiast passionate about their local airport should be grateful for every penny it gets. If you're more concerned about [alleged] waste of taxpayer money, we recommend a different hobby.
Last reviewed: 16/04/2025
5) Historic Matters
a) Our official position on any matters from the previous airport ownership is that "It no longer matters, so who cares?". Unfortunately people do care and so long as the debate is kept alive - including by the present ownership - then there is a place for the discussion. To support the airport is to support the ownership by extension, as such despite being neutrals as far as politics go we were often labelled as biased in favour of an entity widely considered 'villanous' amongst the local population, therefore we do not wish to reignite/exacerbate this by getting into detailed discussion on the matter. Our only firm belief is that we would have "Covid-closed" along with Doncaster Sheffield Airport had the takeover not happened. We refer readers to the excellent "Your Questions Answered" document, which is still very much valid.