THESE are dark days for regional airports.

As well as falling passenger numbers caused by the recession, air travel operators are facing unrelated difficulties not of their doing.

The Northern Echo has highlighted the problems faced by Durham Tees Valley Airport, including the loss of flights to Heathrow last month. Despite the setbacks, we remain convinced the airport has a bright future.

Its fortunes soared on the back of the boom in cheap flights. But since then, it has lost scheduled services operated by bmibaby, flyglobespan, bmi and Ryanair.

Durham Tees Valley is not alone.

All its regional rivals have lost flights and services but, crucially, they have done so from a larger passenger base.

Its nearest competitor, Newcastle Airport, handled ten per cent fewer passengers last year, but that still equates to five million travellers. In comparison, Durham Tees Valley welcomed only 650,000 passengers.

Nevertheless, Durham’s owner Peel Airports has reiterated its belief in the future of flights from Teesside.

The Airport Operators’ Association will reveal the extent of the industry’s woes in a letter to Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon later this week. It hopes to persuade the Government to postpone Ofcom proposals which would see airports paying significantly more for using radar and VHF systems, and to amend the new Police and Crime Bill, under which they will have to pay more towards policing.

We endorse Peel Airport’s comments about the future of Durham Tees Valley and hope the Government will listen to the industry’s pleas for understanding ahead of the Budget later this month.