AN unusual floating airport was nearly built in the UK, after being backed by a former London mayor.
Back in 2012, the ambitious plans were for an offshore airport on a sandbank near Deal, Kent.
A bizarre ‘floating’ airport was pitched back in 2012 in a bid to solve London’s aviation crisis[/caption]
The airport was nearly built on a sandbank near Deal in Kent[/caption]
Designed by engineering firm Beckett Rankine, the airport on would sit atop Goodwin Sands, a 10-mile sandbank in Kent where thousands of shipwrecks are said to have taken place.
Initially wanting to be a three-runway airport, there were plans to extend to have four, or even six runways as a “hub for Northern Europe”.
With flights operating 24 hours a day, it would welcome up to 150million passengers a year.
The airport was pitched back in 2012 in a bid to solve London‘s aviation crisis.
At the time, the proposal was welcomed by engineering experts and London‘s former mayor, Boris Johnson.
Computer-generated images from over a decade ago show the four runways sitting on top of the sand bank like they’re floating.
When the plans were presented, engineer Beckett, said: “If the Davies Commission endorses the long-term requirement for a new, four-runway hub airport for London, then locating it at Goodwin will have the least adverse social and environmental impact of any option”.
Daniel Moylan, who was the aviation adviser to Boris Johnson when he was the mayor of London, added at the time: “The mayor has been encouraging proposals for a new airport to the east of London and this proposal is welcome as a contribution to a critical national debate and as a demonstration that a new airport is feasible and deliverable.”
Estimates for how much it would cost were around £39billion.
Despite the positive response, the plans were dismissed as “completely bonkers,” according to Kent Live and were later scrapped.
Even though the plans were shelved, Goodwin Airport’s X (formerly Twitter) account continued to promote the idea in 2020.
Responding to plans for another airport in the south-east of England, they wrote: “Better still build the airport on the Goodwin Sands.”
The idea and designs for Goodwin Airport were put forward around the same time as plans were discussed to build an airport in the Thames Estuary.
London Britannia was meant to be built on an island just outside the English capital.
The airport was going to be operational for 24 hours a day, hoping to make the most of its six runways.
Also known as the Thames Hub Airport and Boris Island, the airport was going to cost £50billion to build.
Computer-generated images show views of the sea and coastline from the planned airport[/caption]
Roughly 110million passengers were predicted to use the air hub.
But plans for London Britannia were scrapped in 2014 over environmental concerns.
Elsewhere in the capital, London was very nearly home to another airport that was going to be built on the Thames, with planes flying right over Big Ben and Parliament.
The plans were proposed back in the 1930s and the designs were even published in Popular Science Magazine – although they never came to fruition.
And Kings Cross Station was even nearly turned into an airport.
UK airports with plans to reopen
Here are some other UK airports with relaunch plans.
- Plymouth Airport – Despite closing more than 13 years ago, the local council confirmed that it could one day reopen.
- Doncaster Sheffield Airport – The airport closed in November 2022, and could reopen thanks to a new multi-million-pound plan, with TUI possibly relaunching flights at the airport.
- Manston Airport – The Kent-based airport closed back in 2014 after it reported huge losses. Despite being closed for over a decade, airport bosses remain hopeful that passenger flights will one day resume, although it will need a huge overhaul
Meanwhile, a major UK airport will get a huge new train station with high-speed routes – making it ‘easier to get to than Heathrow’.
London Stansted Airport confirmed a £1.1billion renovation, with a £600million new terminal.
The plans were later scrapped[/caption]
