Blackpool Airport faces closure

Blackpool Airport is on the brink of closure unless a buyer can be found in the next few days.

The regional airport said that if no agreement is reached by Tuesday October 7, it is expected the last commercial flights will take place on Wednesday October 15.

Three airlines - Jet2, Stobart Air and Citywing - use Blackpool, flying to more than a dozen destinations including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Malaga in Spain, Faro in Portugal and Ibiza, as well as Belfast and Dublin.

The airport's owners are engineering company Balfour Beatty which took over in 2008. Words:PA

A statement on the airport's website said: "On August 28 2014, we announced our intention to find a buyer for the airport operating company. The airport operations have been making a loss for a number of years and we are currently exploring a number of options in an attempt to secure the future of the airport.

"We regretfully confirm that if no agreement can be reached before October 7 2014 which ensures the viability of its operations, then it is likely that the airport operations will close. In this event, we expect that the last commercial flights will take place on Wednesday October 15 2014.

"We apologise for the uncertainty this will cause over the coming weeks and we recommend that any affected passengers contact their airline to confirm travel arrangements."

Balfour Beatty added: "Balfour Beatty can confirm that Blackpool Airport is exploring a number of options to secure a viable future for the continuation of operations at the airport.

"We regret to advise that if no agreements can be reached to achieve this, then it is likely that the airport operation will close on October 16 2014. Balfour Beatty remains the owner of the Blackpool Airport site."

Around 100 staff work at the airport. Annual passenger numbers were as high as 550,000 in 2007 but had dipped to just over 235,000 by 2012, with last year's total recovering slightly to nearly 263,000.