The abandoned UK airport that is set to reopen in 2029 – and it’s just 90 minutes from London

First it was a WWI Royal Air Force Station, then it was a commercial airport, after that it was an overflow car park, then it played a starring role in Sam Mendes’s 2022 blockbuster Empire of Light. Now, after more than a decade out of action as a travel hub, Manston Airport in Kent could be making a comeback.

The site just outside Margate closed down in 2014 but was bought by investment firm RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP) for £16.5m in 2019. Initially, the group planned to have it up and running again by 2025. Due to escalating costs, that obviously didn’t happen. Now, RSP reckons that the hub could be back in operation by 2029 if proposals get the green light. 

You won’t be jetting off to the Mediterranean from there any time soon, though. For now, there are only plans to reopen the airport as a cargo hub. However, it’s previously been reported that RSP was allegedly in talks with budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet about the eventual possibility of short-haul flights to places like the Netherlands, Spain, Malta. 

A public consultation focusing on proposed flight paths and airspace design was held from March until June, giving local communities and businesses an opportunity to have their say. 

Prior to the consultation, Tony Freudmann, the at RSP, said: ‘This consultation is an important step in our ambitions to reopen Manston Airport. [It's] representing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver new runway capacity to support the UK air cargo market and to transform the economic landscape in east Kent.

‘We know Manston holds a special place in the area's history, we would encourage people to find out more about our proposal and provide any feedback they might have to help shape our plans.’

The results of the the consultation haven’t been revealed yet, but RSP are publishing regular updates on Manston’s return on the Reopening Manston website. 

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