The last time I checked DSAs management was appealing to DMBC for an alteration to their planning consent ,with regard to night flights. DSA was asking for this since it had been recognised that the restrictions were hampering efforts to build up cargo business...but I am not certain of the outcome. As for the Finningley "land bank" I really wonder if a mainly property oriented company would be happy at losing some of its substantial, potentially highly profitable assets at either Teeside or Finningley to a company whose main interests are aviation...who knows?
As for Peels costs of development, it should not be forgotten that they have been in receipt of massive amounts of grant aid from the EU. As an aside, one of Peel's directors was allegedly overheard to say, at the Enquiry:" We could make more money by extracting gravel!"
The appeal was approved and the restrictions (agreed by Peel during the enquiry) have been relaxed. The likelyhood is that Peel will be trying to 'poach' cargo traffic away from EMA, as they have supposidly been trying to do with the airlines with limited success. Fedex are the only major player that are not using EMA at the moment.
It is these restrictions which supposidly deterred Fedex from operating a cargo hub at DSA and moving operations from MAN. The thing i find hard to believe is that they would even move from MAN, and if they did why wouldnt they move to EMA? Reason i say this is that after having worked for Fedex just after the takeover of ANC, they inherited the formers major UK parcel hub in Stoke on Trent, moving the aircraft operations from an airport close by to DSA would make very little, if any, logistical sense... Will still have to wait and see on that one.
I too have heard that quote many times before, i suspect it was stated to scare the authorities into granting permission.
As for the land bank, surely that would be crucial to the future viability of the site, if the two were cut into seperate entities then DSA would not stand much of a chance of ever making money.
Thanks for the information...I suppose DMBC were torn between "nuisance" and "job creation" but the acceptance of tiresome planning restrictions and then making an appeal is more or less normal practice for some developers. I can see the logic of what you are saying with regard to the Airport land...its just that I have a gut feeling about it...especially since DSA was, according to Peel, expected to make a profit purely out of its aviation ( it is very arguable that the Airport was, in fact, making a profit ,anyhow, since it was being charged rent...which , expressly, was forbidden under the terms of the Lease unless it was making a profit!...but that's a side issue!)
I think many people will be happy to see DSA taking off under new ownership!
surely Peel predicted it would make a profit if growth was along the lines of LPL?
I agree though, hopefuly a new owner, which specialises in truning around airports, can turn it into a more tight and robust aviation centre, without banding about unimaginable figures of 6 million pax of which 1.6 million long-haul by 2016. To me that figure is way out of reach, particularly considering LBA will be continuing with an aggressive expansion campaign over the next ten years.
A report on this was on UK Airport News. I mentioned it, as a reference on the DSA site. Guess what - it has been deleted . do they think it's a negative comment!!!
If you took the time to read your private messages on the forum you would see I sent you a message stating there is a thread already running regarding the proposed sale. That was the only reason why your thread was pulled, as H will atest we don't have the power to merge threads on proboards and as the other thread has been running for the best part of the last year it serves more of a purpose.
Instead of taking a cheap shot at the forum as a minority seem to do, check your facts.
I have no doubt they did anticipate a profit but others also questioned the validity of their forecasts! As we know, despite much growth ,LPL still has to return its first profit....but how much, I wonder, has the property portfolio contributed to group profits?
Its only open to speculation at the moment regarding their intentions for the groups airports, but i would doubt that the money pot will be as big and speculative as Peels has been.
I think there is a place for DSA, with TOM and others showing some committment.
One thing i would suspect though, is that they have driven a hard bargain, as Peel said they wanted to maintain a majority share, though this is only going by what we know ib the press.
I wonder what sort of offers will be on the cards to airlines now and which sort of market they will be targeting. Its not hard to realise that LPL was the one that won them over on this deal.
Well, they have, at long last, divested themselves of a seriously loss making division which was far removed from their main line of business. They acquired their aviation infrastructure businesses largely for the land bank which accompanied them and have, doubtless, made a chunk of cash out of disposing/developing the land.. They have now run out of EU grants... with the new concentration of that source of money now being Eastern Europe ... and they need cash to continue expanding their property business.
I have carefully observed their methods and must say I feel a little more optimistic about DSA now that it's owned by an outfit who "think" aviation and don't have such a reliance on "spin". Only time will tell but I am very glad to be rid of Peel...I just wish they hadn't been allowed to turn SCA into a Business Park within a few years of opening...but that's another story!
With outline planning consent for the redevelopment of SCA expiring tomorrow,Peel is having to apply for an extension. Some comment, locally, has been made that perhaps Peel ought to think about reinvesting some of the sale money for DSA back into Sheffield... so we might have a small airport for use by business and general aviation.