London awaits with new plans for Church Fenton airport

Scheduled flights to London could depart from a new airport less than 10 miles from Selby Town Centre.

Selby

Church Fenton airbase's new owner Chris Makin's plans for new airport could mean London flights are just a stone's throw away.
Makin Enterprises
Church Fenton airbase's new owner Chris Makin's plans for new airport could mean London flights are just a stone's throw away.

A former military airbase near Selby could become Britain's newest commercial airport under plans proposed by the site's new owners.

Daily scheduled flights between the former RAF Church Fenton and the capital could be on the cards following the acquisition of the base by local pilot Chris Makin.

Makin has already applied to the Civil Aviation Authority to operate from the base and hopes to obtain a licence for his new 'Leeds East Airport' by August.

If approved, Church Fenton's transport links – close to major trunk roads and right on the doorstep of the proposed route of the HS2 London to Leeds rail-link – combined with the favourable terrain of the Vale of York could create create the conditions for the new airport to become a viable alternative to the more established Leeds Bradford International airport near Yeadon.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Makin said, "London City airport would be an hour from here, we're looking at a 25-seater maybe up to a 70-seater jet.

"We're looking at business customers mainly, so we can do a scheduled service on a daily frequency during the week.

"We're very close to the A1 and very accessible and I think that's a major attraction."

Church Fenton's previous flying hay day came at the height of World War II when the base was home to the Hawker Hurricane's of the RAF's No. 71 Squadron, better known as the first 'Eagle squadron' of American volunteers. Also based here were the all-Canadian and all-Polish squadrons of the No. 242 Squadron and the No. 306 Squadron respectively.

Since the war RAF Church Fenton has been mostly used as a training school for pilots by both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The airfield fell silent in 2013 when Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron were relocated following an announcement by the RAF of the base's closure.