MoD deserts Newquay Airport 'with regret'
The Ministry of Defence said that it was with "regret" that it could not stay at Newquay Airport to provide the services needed to keep it open until the new handover date of December 19.
An MoD spokesman said: "We will vacate the airfield on December 1 in accordance with our agreement with Newquay Cornwall Airport.
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"We regret that we have not been able to agree to the request to extend our support to the airport – this is because the RAF personnel who are employed at the airfield are required for operational posts elsewhere."
7 Comments
by David Weston, Luxulyan
Sunday, November 30 2008, 9:00AM
“Having read the report, and seen the Interview with the councillor involved in this disgraceful situation, I ask myself has he been asleep for 4 yrs continuosly??? it beggars belief that this scenario has happened, and to me, AND FOR MY TAX MONEY he is clearly NOT the man for the job and should be kicked out forthwith !!! & Hold his head in SHAME on the way !!!”
by R.J Burn, S. Devon
Saturday, November 29 2008, 12:16PM
“As an ex RAF Assistant Air Traffic Controller at St Mawgan (1964-1971) I would like to pass my kindest regards to all RAF ATC staff at SM past and present. Also despite the bad start I wish the new civilian staff every sucess in the future”
by tina, st ives
Friday, November 28 2008, 3:10PM
“Do not blame the RAF. CCC and Cllr Andrew Mitchell are solely to blame for this fiasco. Cllr David Whalley has kept so quiet about this issue, wonder why. God help us when One Cornwall starts on April 1st. This does certainly not bode well for the future. Getting rid of the district councils is a huige mistake which we will all pay for.”
by bill foreman, Truro
Friday, November 28 2008, 1:32PM
“Anyone that knows anything about the armed forces posting system would know that the people leaving St Mawgan will be moving to posts vacated by other personnel who in turn will move to posts etc etc etc. Especially with the amount of deployments around the globe, the knock-on would be disastrous. As to leaving a skeleton staff - it is not just controllers that keep an airfiel running - I know, I was one!”
by Patrick Griffin, St Breward
Friday, November 28 2008, 12:55PM
“I am sure that the RAF air traffic controllers would be delighted to stay on and maintain the service at St Mawgan. However it is not the RAF but MOD civil servants who make the decisions. The announcement has been made that the station will cease to be operational on 1 December so 1 December it must be.”
by P.W.Murray-Clarke, polgooth cornwall uk
Thursday, November 27 2008, 6:38PM
“The bottom line is that THE AMATEURISH CORNWALL COUNTY COUNCIL...HAVE TOTALLY LOST THE PLOT.AND NO NOTHING ABOUT AVIATION OR RUNNING AN AIRPORT..........WE THE TAX PAYERS SHOULD NOT PICK UP THE BILL...............THE "MORONS" WHO DRAGED THIER FEET OVER THIS ISSUE(4YEARS @ least) should be dismissed NOW,and made to pay for their lack of competence buy REIMBURSING those they have S...T ON..................................THE COST TO CORNISH TOURISM THE MAIN INCOME OF CORNWALL.......................WILL BE DEVASTATING !!!”
by john, newquay
Thursday, November 27 2008, 6:14PM
“Not all controllers will be leaving St Mawgan on the 1st December, as some will remain to help with the close down of the tower. Why is it not possible for the RAF to provide a limited service i.e. 9am to 5 pm to deal with the majority of flights. They would only require about a third of the control staff to do this. I cannot believe that they would destroy the good name they have built up over the years with this ill thought out decision”