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Durham Tees Valley Airport
IATA: MME – ICAO: EGNV
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Peel Airports (75%) and local authorities (25%)
Operator		Durham Tees Valley Airport Ltd.
Serves		North East England
Location		Darlington
Elevation AMSL		120 ft / 37 m
Coordinates		54°30′33″N, 001°25′46″W
Website		www.durhamteesvalleyairport.com
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
05/23	7,516	2,291	Asphalt
Statistics (2006)
Passengers			906,792
Aircraft movements			55,788
Cargo (tonnes)			455
Sources: UK AIP at NATS UK Civil Aviation Authority[1]

Durham Tees Valley Airport (IATA: MME, ICAO: EGNV) is an airport in North East England, located approximately 10 km (6 miles) east of Darlington, about 16 km (10 miles) south west of Middlesbrough and 39 km (24 miles) south of Durham. The airport is also easily accessible from Stockton-on-Tees, Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Redcar and Hartlepool.

Durham Tees Valley Airport is one of the UK's smaller airports, but is rapidly expanding, with a growing number of scheduled and charter flights.

Previously called Teesside International Airport, it was renamed on 21 September 2004 as part of a major redevelopment plan, in a move unpopular with many local residents.^[2]

Contents 1 Present ownership and status 2 History 2.1 RAF base 2.2 Teesside International 2.3 The airport today 2.4 Historic events 3 Future 3.1 Expansion 3.1.1 Completed development 3.1.2 Future development 3.1.3 Other 4 Facilities 5 Ground transport 5.1 Bus 5.2 Car 5.3 Rail 5.4 Taxi 6 In the news 7 Airlines and destinations 7.1 Scheduled 7.2 Charter 7.3 Cargo and freight 8 General aviation 8.1 Light aviation and flight training 8.2 Business charter 8.3 Other operators 9 Statistics 10 References 11 External links

Durham Tees Valley Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (number P518) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction.

The airport is operational and available for use 24 hours per day.

The majority shareholder in the airport is Peel Airports Ltd who own 75%,^[3] while the remaining 25% is owned by a consortium of local authorities, consisting of Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Councils.

The airport began its life as Royal Air Force Station Goosepool, and in 1941 became RAF Middleton St. George.

During World War II, the airfield was used by 76 Squadron flying Halifaxes, 78 Squadron flying Whitleys, 419 Squadron (Royal Canadian Air Force) flying Wellingtons, Halifaxes and Lancasters, 420 Squadron (Royal Canadian Air Force) flying Wellingtons and 428 Squadron (Royal Canadian Air Force) flying Wellingtons, Halifaxes and Lancasters.

After the war, the aerodrome served various squadrons and units including No. 13 Operational Training Unit (OTU), No. 2 Air Navigation School, No. 4 Flight Training School, and squadrons that used Meteors, Hunters, Javelins and Lightnings.

It was in a Lancaster based here that Flight Officer Andrew Mynarski carried out an act of such heroism that he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the last VC to be awarded to an airman of World War II.

In 1963, the decision was made to close the airfield, and it was purchased by the late Cleveland County Council who saw the potential of the airfield as a commercial one, and developed it into what it is today. Princess Margaretha of Sweden opened the international passenger terminal in 1966.

The first scheduled service to operate from Teesside International Airport was to Manchester, and since then the airport has developed a small, yet strong network of both scheduled, and inclusive tour routes.

In 2002, the airport sought a strategic partner to assist with future development and Peel Airports Ltd was selected as the preferred partner, taking a 75% stake in the airport.

In September 2004, Teesside International Airport slipped into history as Durham Tees Valley Airport was born, the airport chartering a Spanair McDonnell Douglas MD83 to mark the event, the aircraft being the last to depart Teesside and the first to land at Durham Tees Valley.

The name was changed in order to better place the airport geographically, as a lot of the airport's passengers, particularly foreign ones, were unfamiliar with the location of Teesside, but most knew where Durham was.

The airport is now undergoing a £56 million expansion and development programme, described separately below.

• April 1964: First flight from the airport took place in the form of a Mercury Airlines flight to Manchester
• 1966: New terminal opened by Queen Margaritha of Sweden
• November 1969: First flight to London Heathrow with British Midland - a route which still exists today
• 1985: Airport celebrates its 21st birthday
• 1986: Airport charters Concorde for the day
• 1990: One millionth aircraft movement occurs in the form of a British Midland service to London Heathrow
• 1994: Airtours launch substantial inclusive tour programme, south side development planned, and FR Aviation announce base operation
• 1996: Cleveland County Council disbanded, airport ownership divided amongst several Borough Councils
• 1996: Worlds largest aircraft (at the time), an Antonov 124 Condor arrives from Houston, Texas
• 1997: Half a million passenger movements, Ryanair announce service to Dublin
• 2003: Peel Airports Ltd takes a 75% stake in the airport and will invest £20m over 5 years
• September 2004: The airport changes its name from Teesside International to Durham Tees Valley
• January 2005: Major expansion plans announced which will enable the airport to handle up to 3 million passengers annually
• April 2005: Sky Express bus service launched
• January 2006: Work begins on new terminal front
• 14 September 2006: Airports largest operating airline, bmibaby, announce they are to leave
• 5 October 2006: Flyglobespan announce a two-aircraft base operation at Durham Tees Valley Airport, thus replacing bmibaby

As part of Peel Airports Ltd's £56 million investment in Durham Tees Valley Airport, the below developments have either been completed, are underway, or have been approved.

Phase one of the airports major development programme has already been completed and has seen the construction of a new access road, as well as a completely new terminal front and interior.

The airport also had the taxiways rewired, with new lighting and stop-bars added.

In December 2006 Darlington and Stockton Borough Councils approved plans for the first of two expansions for the airport.^[4]

The plans include an extended and refurbished terminal, with improved baggage handling and check-in facilities, lounges, office space and retail and restaurant facilities. Also, a Cargo and Maintenance Village will be built along with nine additional aircraft stands and 4,500 car parking spaces.

A second planning application has also been approved, this one being for an 18,600sq metre business park with a 100-bed hotel, public house and restaurant.

Since the above plans were approved, the airport has applied to modify one slightly, they wish to remove the Cargo and Maintenance Village, and build an Industrial Estate instead.^[5]

Building work for both of the above plans has yet to commence.

The Highways Agency is currently upgrading parts of the A66, which includes improvement to the junction with the airport's main access road. These works should be completed by late 2008.^[6]

Plans for an 80-bedroom Hotel have been approved, however Durham Tees Valley Airport opposes these plans as they were made by an outside company.^[7][8][9]

Durham Tees Valley Airport's terminal facilities include Bureaux de Change, baby changing, car rentals, cashpoint, first aid, Internet access, Information Desk, lost property, public telephones, passengers with disabilities, Ambulift, wheelchairs, car parking, serendipity and WiFi. Other facilities include extensive cargo facilities, hangars, general aviation, fire and more.

The Sky Express bus service was launched in May 2005 and connects the airport with Darlington's Rail Station and Town Hall. Travel is free for passengers with proof that they have travelled to/from the airport on the day, or £2 without. The service runs up to every half hour during the day and is operated by Arriva North East.

Arriva also operates services 20 and 74, the 74 runs from Hurworth/Neasham and Darlington to the airport, and the 20 runs from Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees to the airport.

If you're travelling to the airport by car, the airport is very near to the A1(M), A19, A66 and the A67. Road signs have now been updated with the new airport name, and as a result the airport is very well sign posted from the above roads and motorways.

Whilst the airport has its own railway station this is only served by two trains per week. The airport is currently in negotiations with Network Rail to make the nearby Dinsdale railway station the main rail link for the airport in the short term.^[10][11]

Taxis are available directly outside the airport terminal.

• 15 August 2007: Flyglobespan begin to announce their Summer 2008 flights from Durham Tees Valley Airport, at the moment, they are basing one aircraft, but it is widely believed a second aircraft will be announced shortly. The flights announced so far are:

Alicante (2x weekly)

Faro (2x weekly)

Jersey (2x weekly)

Malaga (3x weekly)

Palma (3x weekly)

Tenerife South (1x weekly)

• 15 August 2007: Airport fears bmi could reduce or cut the London Heathrow route due to the imminent open skies agreement coming into force, and the threat of landing fees at Heathrow for all domestic flight rising by up to 70%.^[12]

• 13 July 2007: Wizz Air began services from the airport to Warsaw, Poland.

• bmi (London Heathrow)
  • bmi regional (London Heathrow)
• Eastern Airways (Aberdeen)
• Flyglobespan (Alicante, Lanzarote, Malaga, Palma, Tenerife South)
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
  • KLM Cityhopper (Amsterdam)
• Ryanair (Barcelona Girona, Dublin)
• Wizz Air (Warsaw)

• Air Europa (Tenerife South)
• Thomsonfly (Alicante)

• TNT Airways (Liège via Hanover)

The above TNT Airways flight does not always go via Hanover, occasionally, it goes via other airports that TNT serve, or direct to Liège.

TNT Airways have a BAe 146 maintenance base at Durham Tees Valley.

The airport makes no handling charge for General Aviation aircraft under 2 tonnes.^[13] The Cleveland Flying School, St George Flight Training and Tees Valley Flight Training are all based at the airfield operating Cessnas, Pipers and a Bulldog.

Northern Aviation operate two Beech Super King Air B200s as charter aircraft from Durham Tees Valley Airport, and can hire a third should demand warrant it. Cleveland Flying School operate a number of Cessna and Piper aircraft and a single Bell 206B JetRanger II on Northern Aviation's behalf.

The main business aviation handling agent at DTVA is Midwest Executive, and they handle most of the business aircraft that use the airport.

Durham Tees Valley is a base for FR Aviation, who have a fleet of 7 Dassault Falcon 20's based at the airport. FRA's Durham Tees Valley aircraft fly electronic countermeasure flights for the Royal Air Force and other NATO air forces.

Flight Precision is a Durham Tees Valley based FRA subsidiary who operate four Beech Super King Air B200's.

The Great North Air Ambulance has a single McDonnell Douglas MD902 Explorer based at the airport and the Police have the North East Air Unit based here in the form of a Eurocopter EC-135.

	Number of Passengers	Aircraft Movements	Cargo (tonnes)	Cargo (1000s lbs)
2000	751,389	54,625	3,011	6,638
2001	733,617	58,494	1,926	4,246
2002	671,131	52,276	1,006	2,217
2003	704,269	51,976	1,087	2,396
2004	788,382	49,529	484	1,067
2005	900,035	51,714	363	800
2006	906,792	55,788	455	1,003
Source: CAA Official Statistics [1]

• Commons has media related to Durham Tees Valley Airport
• Durham Tees Valley Airport official website
• SkyExpress bus service
• St George Hotel
• FR Aviation
• Flight Precision
• Northern Aviation
• Cleveland Flying School
• St George Flight Training
• Tees Valley Flight Training

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