Blackpool Airport operator on the market

THE company that owns Blackpool International Airport is looking for a buyer for the airport’s operating company.

Regional & City Investments (Blackpool) – owned by Balfour Beaty Infrastructure Investments and the local council which has 5% – has hired Zolfo Cooper to handle the sale of Blackpool Airport Limited (BAL).

Zolfo Cooper specialises in corporate restructuring cases but TheBusinessDesk.com was told insolvency, or the threat of insolvency, was not a factor in the sale.

BAL holds the operating licence from the Civil Aviation Authority to run the airport which had around 260,000 travellers last year.

Blackpool has three scheduled airlines as well as occasional charter holiday flights in the summer. The largest operator is Jet2, which flies to 13 destinations. There was no explanation for the sale or a guide price.

A spokesperson for Zolfo Cooper said: “We are pleased to have been appointed to this role and we will be working closely now with the management team of the airport to identify and evaluate appropriate expressions of interest.”

Balfour Beatty bought its stake in the airport in 2008, acquiring it from CityHopper Airports for £14m.