IT was a great tragedy to read that Durham Tees Valley Airport is proposing to reduce its operational hours, make up to 32 people redundant, outsource some of its operations and take on board some services currently provided by its business partners (Echo Business, Jan 14).

Some eight months ago airport management said there would be no job losses when bmi ceased its operations to Heathrow and that the development plan would continue to make progress. I am sure, with great regret, it now finds it is having to take back its word.

The announcement of new services is a step in the right direction. I would, under the current market conditions, expect the airport to be suffering substantial losses at a level no business can sustain.

The airport management decision, as well as the current downturn in air travel, will also impact on business partners which may also need to review their operations.

It is hoped that management is successful in encouraging operators to provide the services the region requires and this decision stems the flow to enable the airport to return to its target of 2.3 million passengers by 2015 and that it finds a suitable like-minded financial partner to join it in developing our local airport.

John Waiting, Guisborough, East Cleveland.