It's a welcome return to Blackpool Airport for air traffic controllers

Steve Ashcroft and Cesar Aguirre-Mainar have both taken up their old seats in the control tower, bringing their wealth of experience and knowledge back to the Squires Gate Lane hub.

Steve worked at Blackpool Airport for nearly 25 years having initially joined as a trainee in 1988.

Blackpool born and bred, he left the airport when it temporarily closed in 2014, moving to Doncaster Sheffield Airport where he worked until its closure last year.

Cesar returns to the airport following a period at Bournemouth Airport. A favourite with local pilots due to his enthusiastic radio technique, he has recently completed his retraining to allow him to operate independently.

The addition of two experienced staff members strengthens the airport’s capability to provide an uninterrupted air traffic control service to its customers during its operating hours of 7am until 9pm.

The council-owned airport is also supporting the development of air traffic control assistants by funding and supporting their training to become fully fledged air traffic controllers.

As well as promoting the career development of employees this investment in staff will further ensure ATC capability remain stable as the airport develops.

Managing director Steve Peters said: “It’s great to have a growing team of qualified air traffic controllers working daily at Blackpool Airport, and even more so to welcome some familiar and experienced faces back into the tower.

“We’re expecting the volume of air traffic to grow considerably as more people choose Blackpool to fly into as part of executive charters, training flights and general aviation.

“Additionally, having a well-staffed, experienced air traffic control team will help us as we move forward with our airport business plan and the Enterprise Zone masterplan to become a leading corporate aircraft and flight training hub and a commercially successful airport.”

The growing air traffic control team follows more than £2m of funding into the 114-year-old airport, including new direction finding equipment, improvements to new airport lighting wiring systems, pavement and runway works plus a new voice communication system for air traffic control.