Last week BTN highlighted the recent and controversial reopening of RAF Northolt. ‘Controversial’ because the airport accepted commercial flights on 11 November following a £23m runway renovation without carrying out the necessary regulatory assessments and without consulting local residents – conditions many other commercial airports would have to meet.
It is no secret a number of privately-owned and commercially-operated airports have aired concerns about the lack of a level playing field at RAF Northolt in the context of its primary current use as a business aviation operation, not as a military airport.
