Swansea Airport: Council's legal bid to take back control

Swansea council is launching a legal bid to take back possession of Swansea Airport from its current tenant

A legal bid has been launched by Swansea council to take back control of the city's troubled airport.

The legal action would see the authority end the lease with the current tenant, Swansea Airport Ltd.

The airport lost its licence to operate in February after Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) inspectors found a "systemic failure" of safety rules.

Roy Thomas, the airport's director, declined to comment on the ongoing legal matter.

The council said the process would be lengthy and may take "many months".

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"Following service of notices on the company, the next step is to go to court to gain possession of the lease from the tenant," the council added.

"In the meantime, we are also talking to... businesses operating at the site about their potential options and ideas for the interim operation of the airport."

In January, the council agreed a new lease with Swansea Airport Ltd, three weeks before the airport's CAA licence was suspended.

Prior to the new lease being agreed, a number of airport users raised concerns about the way they claimed it was being run and maintained, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Swansea Airport director Roy Thomas, who last winter announced plans to launch passenger flights between Swansea and Exeter, said he preferred not to comment, given the legal situation.