Over 4,000 flights made from Haverfordwest airport last year

MORE than 4,000 flights were made from Haverfordwest airport in just one year, members of the county council heard.

At the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Huw Murphy raised concerns of a recently reported financial loss expected at the airport.

Cabinet has recently heard it must be run as a ‘zero subsidy’ concern.

Cllr Murphy said: “Withybush Airport now has a projected outrun of £239,000 for 2023/24 when council was informed prebudget in March 2023 that the outrun would be £90,000, a substantial increase with additional further costs envisaged to include the need for new fuel tanks at circa £200,000 and the potential need to replace the runway lights at a proposed cost of £450,000.”

Cllr Murphy had pre-submitted two questions, which were answered by Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change Cllr Paul Miller.

“With a projected outrun vastly beyond the budget forecast of £90,000 for 2023/24 can the Cabinet officer holding the Withybush Airport portfolio confirm where is the additional money being sourced to cover the substantial increase to PCC to keep this airport operational.”

“Can the following information be provided in relation to Withybush Airport usage for the year 2022 so that elected councillors and county residents have a clear knowledge of how often the airport is used in one calendar year.”

Cllr Murphy also asked for a comprehensive list of take-offs and landings for a variety of aircraft during 2022 “so that elected councillors and county residents have a clear knowledge of how often the airport is used in one calendar year”.

The list included: fixed wing, rotary wing, the National Police Air Service, Air Ambulance, Coastguard, military fixed wing and rotary, National Grid aircraft, take off/landings during tower hours and when tower inactive/closed, landings by any aircraft following broadcast of Pan Pan message, and landings following a Mayday message.

Responding to the first question, Cllr Miller said the overspend was contained within the overall community services budget.

Cllr Murphy – who stressed he was not against the airport, but stressed the current situation was untenable – said: “I just wanted figures so that the people of Pembrokeshire could see what they get for their money.”