Teesside airport's new boss intends to shrug off any Doubting Thomases as he prepares a strategy fit for 2015.

Mr Hugh Lang told the airport consultative committee on Wednesday that a health check was being carried out on all aspects of the business. He hoped to have some idea of the shape it was in by the end of the summer.

But he refused to be drawn on whether the board was likely to go down the same road as the seven local authorities which owned Newcastle airport. They were considering a lucrative merger with Copenhagen airport.

"Newcastle has decided it is right to look towards some form of private investment. I am reviewing the business as it is in the public sector. The other is not my job at the moment," he stated.

Discussing the importance of road and rail links for regional airports, chairman, Coun David Lyonette said: "We couldn't have a worse airport geographically to get a rail link into it. How can we divert it in and out again, other than perhaps with a mono-rail."

But the managing director said: "We have a rail line near the runway and now government approval for the Longnewton interchange which will give immediate access to the dual carriageway.

"We will do anything we can not to jeopardise the access we have from the current railway."

He used his previous experience at Prestwick where a management decision to build a railway station was ridiculed as a white elephant.

Now 21pc of its passengers used the line compared with only 7pc at Manchester.

"Let Doubting Thomases do that sort of thing. Our brief is to put together a strategic plan that meets circumstances in 15 years' time. Who knows what the government will decide to finance in future?"

Talks were continuing with British Midland to try to restore some slots it severed with Heathrow, especially for the business community.

Although British Midland had been running slots from London for about 30 years, both Newcastle and Teesside airports were trying to solve the thorny problem of who actually owned the rights to them.

"I think the government is trying to take a decision on this," said Mr Lang.

l County may sell airport shares: page 13.