KLM could fly from Kent International Airport at Manston

by Pete Barnett

Hope are high that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is set to announce flights from Thanet's Manston Airport.

The airline, which is merged with Air France, is to announce a "strategic move in the UK market that will have a significant and positive impact on regional businesses and leisure users" in Canterbury on Tuesday, November 13.

It follows discussions between Manston and KLM, which is considering operating twice-daily flights from the Kent airport to Schiphol in Amsterdam - linking Manston to the rest of the world.

In September, the airline asked Manston to conduct an online survey of local residents to find out what the level of demand is for the service.

It would take just 40 minutes to fly to Amsterdam and, from there, passengers would be able to fly to more than 90 direct destinations worldwide.

Last month, Manston chief executive Charles Buchanan, pictured left, said: "If KLM decides to operate flights from Manston it would mean Kent residents would have easy access to sunny destinations all year round."

Manston Airport has the capacity to welcome up to one million passengers a year and its master plan estimates passenger numbers could rise to 5m by 2033.

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