Coxbank looking favourite

There's a mixture of anticipation and bemusement in Coxbank as sentiment is swinging its way in the contest to become Britain's new air traffic hub.

With the third runway at Heathrow and a second at Gatwick looking ever more unlikely, there are few alternative sites available in the crowded South East.

Air traffic planners, therefore, have been searching England for new sites, ideally those with an officially registered, but under-utilised, international airport.

It seems that Coxbank International Airport (CIA) fits the bill ideally with lots of space for expansion and strategically placed to serve the Midands and North of England while being accessible via a new High Speed rail link from London.

Bryan O'Leary of Bryanair, the only airline currently using CIA, says: "As long as that cousin of mine doesn't bring his 'Least Favourite Airline in the World' here, I'll be delighted to have some company and competition here at CIA."

Coxbank Halt, the hamlet's rail station which closed in 1953, seems destined to be the site of the incoming rail terminus if CIA gets the nod.

Residents of Coxbank seemed pleased that the news might bring an improvement to the hamlet's access road, particularly after a spell of wet weather – see our photo. They have, however, found the Boeing 747s and Airbus 380s a little noisy during recent trial landings and take-offs.

Audlem Online's air correspondent, Avril Foulière, who only last month was ferrying goods by air into marooned Coxbank during the floods, says: "What a boost this will be to Coxbank. I can hardly believe it's true." 

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