Durham Tees Valley Airport
Encyclopedia
Durham Tees Valley Airport is an international airport
in north east England
, located 4.7 NM southeast of Darlington
, about 10 mi (16.1 km) southwest of Middlesbrough
and 24 mi (38.6 km) south of Durham
. The airport serves County Durham
and parts of North Yorkshire
, and is in Middleton St George
in the borough of Darlington
. Most local residents still refer to it by its previous name, Teesside International Airport.
Durham Tees Valley Airport is one of the United Kingdom
's smaller airports, but offers links to several domestic and European destinations. The airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (number P518) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction. Originally an RAF Station, the airfield became Teesside International Airport in the 1960s and was renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport in 2004. The majority shareholder in the airport is Peel Airports Ltd which owns 75%,
while the remaining 25% is owned by a consortium of local authorities, consisting of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees
, Middlesbrough
, Hartlepool
and Redcar and Cleveland
Borough Councils. In 2010, Vancouver Airport Services
purchased a controlling 65% stake in Peel Airports Ltd.
Passenger numbers peaked in 2006 when the airport was used by 917,963 passengers, but declined to 224,673 in 2010, the lowest level seen at the airport since 1975.
In November 2010 the airport introduced a passenger levy of £6 to curb the airports losses.
However, despite the introduction of the Passenger Facility Fee, in the first stages of 2011 the airport received a considerable increase in passenger numbers with a 47% increase in January and a 24% increase in February compared to 2010.
Station Goosepool, and in 1941 became RAF Middleton St. George
. The RAF station was closed in 1963 and the airfield was put up for sale.
opened the international passenger terminal in 1966.
After flights to Manchester the airport continued to develop a small yet strong network of both scheduled and inclusive tour charter routes. In November 1969 the first flight to London Heathrow
was operated by British Midland
—this route continued operating until 28 March 2009.
1990 saw the one millionth aircraft movement at the airport, in the form of a British Midland service to London Heathrow. In 1996 when Cleveland County Council was abolished, the airport ownership was divided amongst local Borough Councils.
In 2002 the airport sought a strategic partner to assist with future development and Peel Airports Ltd was selected as the preferred company, taking a 75% stake in the airport with a commitment to invest £20m over the subsequent five years.
The name was changed in order to place the airport better geographically, as many of the airport's passengers, particularly those from outside the UK, were unfamiliar with the location of Teesside
, whilst Durham
is better known.
Shortly afterwards, a new access road, terminal front and terminal interior were completed, but the remainder of a planned £56 million expansion and development programme which would have enabled the airport to handle up to 3 million passengers annually never materialised due to the above mentioned decrease in passenger numbers. Other minor developments have seen new airfield lighting installed and £250k that had originally been set aside to replace the condemned roof on one of the hangars has been instead used on much needed repair works on the terminal.
, Newquay and Norwich
.
The Sky Express bus service was launched in May 2005 and connected the airport with Darlington
's Rail Station
and Town Hall. Travel was free for bona-fide passengers. The service ran up to every hour during the day and was operated by Arriva North East
. The service ceased operation on 25 January 2009.
Arriva presently operates services 12 and 20, the 12 runs from Hurworth/Neasham
and Darlington
to the airport. The 12 runs every hour at 00:47 from the airport terminal, providing links to Darlington
only; The extension of service 12 between Durham Tees Valley Airport and Teesside was withdrawn as a result of cancellation of Stockton Council financial support
.
, rail links are poor as this remote station, some distance from the terminal building, is served only by two trains per week. The station is a 15-minute walk from the airport terminal. On Saturday 24 October 2009, a group of 26 people travelled to and from the airport station on the only scheduled service, to highlight the station's existence and its poor rail service, and to persuade rail authorities to move it 500 metres closer to the airport terminal.
A new station could be built closer to the terminal, as part of the Tees Valley Metro
project.
, who have a fleet of six Dassault Falcon 20
s based at the airport. Cobham's Durham Tees Valley aircraft fly electronic countermeasure flights for the Royal Air Force
and other NATO air forces. These aircraft can be found on exercise, usually around the UK or Europe.
Cobham Flight Inspection is a Durham Tees Valley based Cobham subsidiary who operate two Beech B200 Super King Airs & a single Beech B350 Super King Air. They also have a single Diamond DA42 Twin Star on order which is due for delivery in December.
The Great North Air Ambulance
has a single Aerospatiale AS365 Dauphin
based at the airport. Cleveland Police
has its Air Operations Unit
based in the form of a Eurocopter EC135
.
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
in north east England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located 4.7 NM southeast of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, about 10 mi (16.1 km) southwest of Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
and 24 mi (38.6 km) south of Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
. The airport serves County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and parts of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, and is in Middleton St George
Middleton St George
Middleton St George is a village in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is served by Dinsdale railway station....
in the borough of Darlington
Darlington (borough)
Darlington is a local government district and borough in North East England. In 2008 it had a resident population of 100,500 It borders County Durham to the north and west, North Yorkshire to the south along the line of the River Tees, and Stockton-on-Tees to the east.-Council:Traditionally part of...
. Most local residents still refer to it by its previous name, Teesside International Airport.
Durham Tees Valley Airport is one of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's smaller airports, but offers links to several domestic and European destinations. The airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (number P518) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction. Originally an RAF Station, the airfield became Teesside International Airport in the 1960s and was renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport in 2004. The majority shareholder in the airport is Peel Airports Ltd which owns 75%,
while the remaining 25% is owned by a consortium of local authorities, consisting of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees (borough)
Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of north east England, with a population in 2001 of 178,408, rising to 185,880 in 2005 estimates....
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough (borough)
-External links:*...
, Hartlepool
Hartlepool (borough)
Hartlepool is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of County Durham, north east England. In 2003 it had a resident population of 90,161. It borders the non-metropolitan county of County Durham to the north, Stockton-on-Tees to the south and Redcar and Cleveland to the south-east along the...
and Redcar and Cleveland
Redcar and Cleveland
The borough of Redcar & Cleveland is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Eston, Skelton and Loftus. It had a resident population of 139,132 in 2001, and is part of the Tees...
Borough Councils. In 2010, Vancouver Airport Services
Vancouver Airport Services
Vancouver Airport Services is an airport management company with 19 airports worldwide. It is a subsidiary of the Vancouver Airport Authority which manages Vancouver International Airport....
purchased a controlling 65% stake in Peel Airports Ltd.
Passenger numbers peaked in 2006 when the airport was used by 917,963 passengers, but declined to 224,673 in 2010, the lowest level seen at the airport since 1975.
In November 2010 the airport introduced a passenger levy of £6 to curb the airports losses.
However, despite the introduction of the Passenger Facility Fee, in the first stages of 2011 the airport received a considerable increase in passenger numbers with a 47% increase in January and a 24% increase in February compared to 2010.
RAF station
The airfield began its life as Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Station Goosepool, and in 1941 became RAF Middleton St. George
RAF Middleton St. George
RAF Middleton St. George was a Royal Air Force Bomber Command station during World War II. It was located in County Durham, five miles east of Darlington, England....
. The RAF station was closed in 1963 and the airfield was put up for sale.
Teesside International
The former RAF Station and airfield was purchased by the former Cleveland County Council, which saw the potential of the airfield as a commercial one, and developed it into a civil airport. The first flight from the airport took place in 1964 with a Mercury Airlines service to Manchester. Princess Margaretha of SwedenPrincess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler
Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler , was born at Haga Palace outside Stockholm. She is the first child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and granddaughter of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught .-Life and...
opened the international passenger terminal in 1966.
After flights to Manchester the airport continued to develop a small yet strong network of both scheduled and inclusive tour charter routes. In November 1969 the first flight to London Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
was operated by British Midland
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
—this route continued operating until 28 March 2009.
1990 saw the one millionth aircraft movement at the airport, in the form of a British Midland service to London Heathrow. In 1996 when Cleveland County Council was abolished, the airport ownership was divided amongst local Borough Councils.
In 2002 the airport sought a strategic partner to assist with future development and Peel Airports Ltd was selected as the preferred company, taking a 75% stake in the airport with a commitment to invest £20m over the subsequent five years.
Durham Tees Valley Airport
On 21 September 2004 the airport was renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport as part of a major redevelopment plan. The renaming was unpopular with some local residents.The name was changed in order to place the airport better geographically, as many of the airport's passengers, particularly those from outside the UK, were unfamiliar with the location of Teesside
Teesside
Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
, whilst Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
is better known.
Shortly afterwards, a new access road, terminal front and terminal interior were completed, but the remainder of a planned £56 million expansion and development programme which would have enabled the airport to handle up to 3 million passengers annually never materialised due to the above mentioned decrease in passenger numbers. Other minor developments have seen new airfield lighting installed and £250k that had originally been set aside to replace the condemned roof on one of the hangars has been instead used on much needed repair works on the terminal.
Passenger levy
On 15 November 2010 the airport introduced a passenger levy of £6 for adults and £2 for children to curb the airport's growing losses. Passengers must purchase a ticket from a machine before being allowed to proceed through security. Similar schemes are already in place at other small English airports including BlackpoolBlackpool Airport
Blackpool International Airport is an international airport on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport....
, Newquay and Norwich
Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich within Norfolk, England north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs....
.
Bus
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
's Rail Station
Darlington railway station
Darlington railway station, also known as Darlington Bank Top, is the main railway station for the town of Darlington, in the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. The station is located on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross....
and Town Hall. Travel was free for bona-fide passengers. The service ran up to every hour during the day and was operated by Arriva North East
Arriva North East
Arriva North East is a division of the transport group Arriva. It is a major provider of bus services around north east England, alongside Stagecoach North East, and Go North East...
. The service ceased operation on 25 January 2009.
Arriva presently operates services 12 and 20, the 12 runs from Hurworth/Neasham
Neasham
Neasham is a village approximately four miles to the south east of Darlington in County Durham, England and has more than 1,000 years of history. The village sits on the banks of the river Tees which, at that point, marks the border between the counties of Durham and North Yorkshire...
and Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
to the airport. The 12 runs every hour at 00:47 from the airport terminal, providing links to Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
only; The extension of service 12 between Durham Tees Valley Airport and Teesside was withdrawn as a result of cancellation of Stockton Council financial support
.
Car
The airport is situated off the A67 and is within easy reach of the A1(M), A19, A66 corridors, it is well signposted from all major routes (sometimes as Teesside Airport). A significant upgrade to complete a fast link direct to the airport from the A66 was completed in 2008.Rail
Whilst the airport has its own railway stationTeesside Airport railway station
Teesside Airport railway station serves Durham Tees Valley Airport in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England.-History:...
, rail links are poor as this remote station, some distance from the terminal building, is served only by two trains per week. The station is a 15-minute walk from the airport terminal. On Saturday 24 October 2009, a group of 26 people travelled to and from the airport station on the only scheduled service, to highlight the station's existence and its poor rail service, and to persuade rail authorities to move it 500 metres closer to the airport terminal.
A new station could be built closer to the terminal, as part of the Tees Valley Metro
Tees Valley Metro
The Tees Valley Metro is a project to upgrade the Tees Valley Line and sections of the Esk Valley Line and Durham Coast Line to provide a faster and more frequent service. In the initial phases the services will be heavy rail mostly along existing alignments. The later phase may introduce...
project.
Airlines and destinations
General aviation
A number of flight training schools and flying clubs are based at the airport.Other operators
Durham Tees Valley is a base for Cobham plcCobham plc
Cobham plc is a British manufacturing company based in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index...
, who have a fleet of six Dassault Falcon 20
Dassault Falcon 20
The Dassault Falcon 20 is a French business jet and was the first of a family of business jets built by Dassault Aviation.-Design and development:...
s based at the airport. Cobham's Durham Tees Valley aircraft fly electronic countermeasure flights for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and other NATO air forces. These aircraft can be found on exercise, usually around the UK or Europe.
Cobham Flight Inspection is a Durham Tees Valley based Cobham subsidiary who operate two Beech B200 Super King Airs & a single Beech B350 Super King Air. They also have a single Diamond DA42 Twin Star on order which is due for delivery in December.
The Great North Air Ambulance
Great North Air Ambulance
The Great North Air Ambulance Service is an English charity based in the United Kingdom. It provides air ambulance services across the North of England from the Scottish border south to North Yorkshire in the east and Cumbria in the west. It currently operates two helicopters, one near Penrith,...
has a single Aerospatiale AS365 Dauphin
Eurocopter Dauphin
The Eurocopter SA 365/AS365 Dauphin 2 is a medium-weight multipurpose twin-engine helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter .-Design and development:...
based at the airport. Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police
Cleveland Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the area of former county of Cleveland in north east England. The Cleveland Police area covers approximately and has a population of over 554,000....
has its Air Operations Unit
Cleveland Air Operations Unit
The Cleveland Air Operations Unit is the air support unit for the Cleveland Police force.- History :The Cleveland Air Operations Unit was formed on 1st April 2009....
based in the form of a Eurocopter EC135
Eurocopter EC135
The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...
.
Statistics
| Number of Passengers | Aircraft Movements | Cargo (tonnes) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 746,983 | 54,625 | 3,011 | |
| 2001 | 733,617 | 58,494 | 1,926 | |
| 2002 | 671,131 | 52,276 | 1,006 | |
| 2003 | 704,269 | 51,976 | 1,087 | |
| 2004 | 788,382 | 49,529 | 484 | |
| 2005 | 900,035 | 51,714 | 363 | |
| 2006 | 917,963 | 55,788 | 457 | |
| 2007 | 743,727 | 57,515 | 786 | |
| 2008 | 654,192 | 45,310 | 290 | |
| 2009 | 289,464 | 25,208 | 298 | |
| 2010 | 224,673 | 20,756 | N/A | |
| Source: CAA Official Statistics | ||||