Kent International Airport is now waiting for a buyer as a skeleton staff keep the deserted airport in check following its move into administration. On July 26, Grant Thornton were appointed as administrators of London Manston Airport Plc, which trades as Kent International Airport. Parent company Planestation collapsed last month because it couldn’t secure funding to help its struggling airline EUJet. EUJet, which is registered in Ireland, has subsequently entered administration and is being liquidated by an Irish practitioner. A Grant Thornton spokesman confirmed 127 of the airports’ 200-plus employees had lost their jobs and been paid-out all monies owed. He said about 60 people had been retained “to mothball the airport”. “We are now trying to sell the airport as a going concern so although there are no services today, it is still in a maintained state. Once a buyer is secured it will just be a matter of flicking the switch and returning to normal operations.” He added that “a number of people have made notices of interest”, although the administrator expects the sale to take many weeks. On August 1 the airport stopped its aviation insurance cover but is determined to keep its Civil Aviation Authority approved status by keeping the facility in good working order.
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