‘International airport’ set for North Yorkshire

NORTH YORKSHIRE could be set for an international airport offering ‘VIP’ flights abroad.

The former RAF base at Church Fenton has applied for an operator’s licence from the Civil Aviation Authority, according to the BBC.

Owners of Leeds East Airport on the base near Tadcaster are said to be planning four flights a day to Cannes, Faro and Malaga.

Sally Rafferty was reported as saying that there were no plans to introduce scheduled flights from the airfield. She said it would concentrate on a limited number of charter flights costing £1,000 for a return ticket.

The base was built in 1933 and saw its peak activity during the Second World War when it was part of a network of fighter bases.

It was acquired in 2013 by businessman Chris Makin, and plans have been launched to turn the old hangars into film studios.

Plans would see Makin Enterprises and Screen Yorkshire turn a 100,000 sq ft hangar into a production space.