Teesside Airport's future questioned amid financial concerns

The airport recently announced its first profit in more than a decade during an August announcement, but the accuracy of that claim has since been questioned.

Darlington Borough Council has now been asked whether it will ever see a return on the money it invested into the facility. 

Teesside Airport said it made a pre-tax profit of £308,555 in the year to March 2024 but that claim was questioned by critics who argued its earnings were calculated before interest. 

Teesside Airport made the announcement in August (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) At a full council meeting Matthew Snedker, Green Party leader, said: “[Will the] airport ever be in a position to return a real profit, bearing in mind that no airport with fewer than two million passengers a year does?”

Council leader Stephen Harker said he was initially cautious about the site’s future but is committed to supporting its 10-year plan. 

He told the meeting: “I have had long-term skepticism about where the airport might end up. When the airport was bought back in 2019 questions were raised about whether the airport would be sustainable in the long term.

“There’s an ongoing saga with what information the cabinet sees about the airport, and it is at times difficult to understand the finances of the airport. I suspect the report about the airport hitting profit was technically true but didn’t tell the full story about the finances, and it wasn’t quite as good as presented. 

“But in fairness, it did suggest there were improvements.”

Cllr Harker mentioned how advice from two independent aviation experts at the time identified several ways in which the airport could thrive. 

“For Teesside Airport to be successful it was said that they needed to poach passengers from Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford, and Manchester airports,” cllr Harker said. 

“It was also suggested to try and secure one of the low-cost carriers to use the airport as a base because that regenerates revenue that can support an airport. It was felt both those would be necessary to enable the airport to be successful.”

The airport was brought back into public ownership five years ago and is partly owned by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA). Despite no airline setting up a base at the airport, visitor numbers have gradually increased. 

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Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said he hopes the airport can continue to grow in the future. 

Speaking in August, he said: “We’re not necessarily there yet, there are still some issues down the road. It’s a difficult industry to be in with aviation - there’s issues around delivery of aircraft and we’re trying to get more carriers in so there’s still a way to go.

“But this is the thing everybody was saying – you’re getting more stuff, you’re spending more money, but at what stage does it become sustainable and start to stand on its own two feet? So today is a really important day on that journey.”

TVCA was contacted for comment.