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Local council reacquires Blackpool airport in £4m deal

A 95% share in Blackpool airport is to be sold by infrastructure group Balfour Beatty to Blackpool Council for £4.25 million.

The company acquired the airport nine years ago for £14 million and invested a reported further £30 million.

But the airport was put up for sale three years ago and commercial flights ended to leave it only used by private aircraft and helicopters.

A Balfour Beatty spokesman said: “The sale of Blackpool airport further simplifies the portfolio, in line with the group’s strategy”.

Blackpool Council leader Simon Blackburn effectively ruled out the return of commercial flights to the airport.

“We do not envisage the return of large scale passenger planes to the airport,” he said.

“The purpose of this acquisition is to safeguard the helicopter and other commercial airside activities that take place, build upon them and deliver our overall objective of creating up to 5,000 jobs on the Enterprise Zone site.”

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