When it comes to holidays, convenience is key. The easier it is to get to your destination, the earlier you can start to relax, so it’s always handy to have a local airport ready and waiting to whisk you away. For southeast England-dwellers who are used to traversing crowded London terminals for their adventures, air travel is about to get much easier.
Manston Airport, which sits in easternmost Kent near Margate, is set for a comeback within the next few years. Originally built in 1916 as an RAF base, Manston also operated as a commercial terminal until shutting down after more than a century in 2014. Since then, it’s lived a few lives: it has been an overflow car park for the nearby ferry port, played host to events for aviation enthusiasts, and even been a set for the 2022 film Empire of Light. After an exciting few years, however, it’s time for Manston to return to its roots.
The company overseeing Manston’s refurb, RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP), has said that it will initially focus on making the airport fit for cargo planes, with the potential to expand into the consumer market if all goes well. It’s going to cost an eye-watering £500 million to get things back up and running, and in line with modern safety standards. A certain number of passenger planes would need to be based there to turn a profit, so nothing is certain right now.
With that said, it was reported that RSP has been in talks with budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet about the possibility of short-haul flights to Europe being reintroduced to Manston. Speaking to Kent Online, a representative of the company said: ‘Looking at the way the passenger market is going, we are confident we can persuade one or more low-cost carriers to base their planes here’, so it’s looking hopeful. Possible destinations could include the Netherlands, Spain, Malta, and more.
Not everyone is excited about Manston’s return, however. A campaign group called ‘Don’t Save Manston Airport’ was set up when the renovation was announced and they, unsurprisingly, oppose the idea. The group says that the town doesn’t need an airport and that promising one is simply giving ‘false hope’.
Despite some local frustrations, works are going ahead. The last update RSP provided was back in January, when a post on its website explained: ‘Opening an airport – even one like Manston which already has in place a full-length runway, taxiways and airport buildings – takes a huge amount of preparation and planning first and so it will be many months before we are ready to welcome construction teams on site.
‘Our professional teams are working hard. It’s just work that can’t be seen if you drive down Hengist Way.’
That post indicated that no construction would be taking place until 2027 at the earliest, and that ‘in early 2028, we expect construction works to be complete and recruitment for operational roles to begin’. The goal, it added, is to open by the end of that year.
Eyes on the skies
Wondering what else is going on in the world of British aviation? This airport was revealed to be the worst for cancellations last year, and this is the small northern airport crowned best in the UK for 2025 . And that’s not the only good news: two major British airports have officially scrapped the 100ml liquids rule. In fact, 10 UK airports have changed security rules around liquids in hang luggage –here’s everything you need to know.
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