Embattled airport secures £8m lifeline
Carlisle Lake District Airport is to receive a Government grant of up to £8m, a sum that would effectively wipe out its business rates bill for 2020-21.
The Stobart Group-owned airport has been closed since 1 April this year, having only reopened to passenger flights in summer 2019 for the first time in 25 years, with Loganair running flights to Belfast and London Southend. A round of redundancies was confirmed in October.
The funding comes as part of a £100m package announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, with 24 airports eligible for funding of various amounts, including Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon. Shapps also announced a reduction in the time passengers will be required to spend in isolation post-travel, providing they take a coronavirus test.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Broder, said: “I am really pleased that Carlisle Lake District Airport will receive up to £8m to help it start to recover during these challenging times.
“I hope that this funding marks a turning point for the airport – which is so important for our community.
“I will continue to work with stakeholders, colleagues and Government to support a viable future for our airport which has been hit so hard by this pandemic.”
