JOBS are set to go in a sweeping shake-up at Durham Tees Valley Airport in the wake of a slump in passenger numbers.

Officials said last night that the sweeping changes would help secure the airport's future - but said the business needed to make savings if it was to prosper.

Under the plans up to 32 jobs could be axed - bringing overall staff levels at the airport down to 143 - and staff will be retrained to carry out new responsibilities.

Durham Tees Valley endured a torrid 2009 with the loss of key flights to London and a number of other destinations.

The recession also led to a fall in passenger numbers.

Management have responded to the setbacks with a dramatic new strategy which effectively splits the business in half.

The airport will operate a "twin terminal" operation - a a ‘premium’ area for scheduled services and business travellers and another area which will handle holiday charter and ‘low cost’ services.

DTV Director Kerry Quinn said that the new-look had been developed following detailed discussions with airlines and was already delivering results—highlighted by Eastern Airways’ recently-introduced service to Southampton.

Talks are on-going with other airlines and The Northern Echo understands an announcement on another new route is imminent.

Airport chiefs hope the changes will help deliver a significant increase in passenger numbers in the coming year.

This summer will see new flights to Jersey and additional flights to Turkey.

Ms Quinn said: “We will be able to offer a year-round service in our ‘premium’ area, providing the quality of service which scheduled service passengers—especially business travellers—now expect, such as dedicated lounge facilities, speedy security lanes and wi-fi internet access.

“The other ‘leisure’ area will be brought into operation to meet the peak holiday periods, again with the right range of services for that market, aimed at making people’s experience as stress-free and relaxed as possible.

“We have also decided that it makes economic and operational sense to reduce our normal operating hours from 4am to 10pm, whilst retaining the flexibility to handle aircraft outside those hours if required.”

The proposals by the Peel Airports Group announced today also involves changes in workforce levels, working arrangements and terms and conditions and the airport has begun consultations with staff and trade unions.

Ms Quinn said: “Every aspect of air travel has been hit by the economic crisis and we have to look at how best we can respond to the greatly changed world in which we are now operating, at the same time as ensuring that we are in a position to exploit all possible opportunities for the future.

“We cannot escape the fact that, in order to make this concept viable, we need to do things better and smarter — and inevitably that has to mean changes for our workforce.

"Regrettably, creating financial stability in the current economic situation does mean reducing our overall staff numbers and modernising all aspects of the operation, including looking at those services we can best deliver ‘in house’ and those which are best outsourced, together with the introduction of greater flexibility through multi-skilling.

“We do appreciate that this will be a difficult period for our staff and we are fully committed to full consultation with them and their representative trade unions in order to ensure that the measures we feel we have to take are dealt with as fairly and sensitively as possible.

“Implementing change is never easy, but we firmly believe the proposals we have announced today provide the best way forward to ensure that the airport has a sound future and can continue to make a valuable contribution to our local economy.”

The proposals involve potentially up to 32 job losses — meaning future staffing at the airport would total 143 — and the introduction of ‘multi skilling’ in a number of areas.

In addition cleaning services and services for passengers with reduced mobility — currently provided by outside contractors — potentially will be undertaken by the airport’s staff, while fire and engineering operations could be potentially outsourced.