DURHAM Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) wants to persuade the Government to impose a socalled Public Service Obligation (PSO) on flights to London Heathrow in an effort to secure a future for the route.

Bosses at the airport are understood to be drawing up a case which they hope, with the support of other regional agencies, would allow landing slots at Heathrow from DTVA to be effectively “ring fenced”.

The airport was left without a link to London after bmi axed the three daily flights it operated, blaming the cost of landing charges imposed by Heathrow’s owner BAA.

Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has said the Government has no powers to intervene over the landing charges, but he would happy to consider a PSO in respect of a service from Durham.

Bosses at the airport recently met Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers, where a PSO was discussed.

Ms Villiers, who was accompanied by North-East MEP Martin Callanan, met Hugh Lang, group director of Peel Airports, the owner of DTVA.

She said he had emphasised how important good transport links were to businesses in the region, given its geographical position.

Ms Villiers said: “There is no simple solution here. It is important that the option of a PSO is thoroughly considered.

“However, there are very difficult legal issues in terms of the slots at Heathrow and what powers the Department for Transport has.

“I cannot produce a miracle solution, but I am committed to talking to try to resolve this and that will include lobbying the Government and the European Commission.”

Ms Villiers, who has argued that BAA’s monopoly over much of the country’s airport infrastructure should be broken up, said the Conservatives would not leave it to market forces to decide whether it was viable to operate a service on the route.

She said: “We are committed to regional development, and as a party we have accepted that there can be a case for intervention in the market where particular regions are disadvantaged.”

The Shadow Transport Secretary also responded to comments by Lord Bates, of Langbaurgh, the Conservatives’ deputy chairman, in which he suggested the North-East was not big enough for two regional airports.

Ms Villiers said Lord Bates was “very supportive” of regional airports.

She added that there were strong arguments to shift some flights from overcrowded airports in the South-East of England to the regions.

Mr Callanan said he was hopeful the airport could meet the criteria for a PSO and also suggested a financial subsidy would be required, which could be met in part by local councils.

Commenting more generally on the future of the airport, the MEP said it would be a “disaster” were it to ultimately close.

He said: “It would be seriously detrimental to the economy of the Tees Valley and the North-East as a whole.”