When growing up on the outskirts of Exeter in the 1980s, the city's airport was no more than a place where the Red Arrows used to swoop by every summer.
The terminal was like a smallish shed and the occasional aircraft visitor was treated like some sort of grand event. There was a bit of RAF traffic every now and then, possibly a commercial flight and even a small number of charters, but to be fair not much at all.
Fast forward to 2005 and the airport is set to handle around 800,000 passengers this financial year alone. And in future years will undoubtedly be knocking on the airport Holy Grail of one million customers.
For a small regional airport serving a relatively small city, this is an excellent effort at attracting passengers. More so given that expanding Bristol International Airport is just an hour up the M5 and other regional airports are within a reasonable drive or train journey.
However, Exeter International Airport has not gone it alone and could not have grown as rapidly as it has without airline support, or Flybe to be exact.
The one-time Jersey European and then British European has made itself into one of Europe”s very successful budget airlines through shrewd route selection and service the passenger wants.
Who would have thought you could fly from Exeter to Palma on Majorca or to Brest on the Brittany coast. Well you can this summer with Flybe.
The airline will have 13 routes from its south-west hub come June, serving the Channel Islands, Paris, Dublin and Liverpool amongst others. It commands almost half of traffic at Exeter.
Flybe really is using Exeter as a viable regional airport to expand its business and clearly proving you do not need to be in the south-east to be a profitable budget carrier.
All this success at Exeter has forced owners Devon County Council to look for help in expanding the facility to capitalise on economic growth in the region. With businesses such as the Met Office and energy providers EDF setting up head offices in the city, there is clearly a need for more modern and efficient facilities at the airport.
The council has attracted some 70 bids for the airport and a decision on new owners is pending. The winners will be decided on who can finance a new three-million passenger capacity terminal to cope with additional scheduled flights demanded by local business and a shift in holidaymakers looking to their local airport to provide flights instead of Gatwick.
The new owners will also be expected to fund new road building to lessen the airport”s impact on local residents and improve links to major routes like the M5 and A30. There will also be provision for additional aircraft and car parking.
All in all, Exeter is an excellent example of how a regional airport has risen from almost nothing to an important part of the economic vibrancy of a region in less than 20 years. where airport expansion is concerned.
Stansted, for instance, has brought undoubted financial benefits to its corner of Essex and of course Heathrow more or less keeps its part of west London in employment. But both have vociferous opposition to expansion of terminal and runways.
And Exeter is set to be no different.
The local district council has agreed in principle to Devon”s aims of expansion and upgrades, but plans to build thousands of houses to the north of the city is sure to put a fly in the airport”s ointment in the future.
The airport faces an uncertain future as councillors and residents weigh up the benefits of an undoubted success story for the area against the burden of traffic and noise control.
Exeter, like many other airports, finds itself in the position of being a great asset but beset with future issues to maintain its growth
http://www.exeter-airport.co.uk