§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence which is the largest civilian aircraft that could be landed at RAF Finningley in normal operating conditions.
§ Mr. HanleyThe runway, taxiways and parking area at Finningley are capable of normal use by aircraft of up to the size and weight classification of the Boeing 747. However, the operation of aircraft of this size is currently constrained by ground obstacles adjacent to the taxiways.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the length of the runway at RAF Finningley; and how many(a) civilian and (b) military aircraft have landed or taken off from RAF Finningley for each of the last four years and the current year to date.
750W
§ Mr. HanleyRAF Finningley has a single runway, RW 20/02, which is 2,744.5 m in length. Civilian and military aircraft movements to or from Finningley in the past three years and the current year to date are as follows; figures for 1990 are not available:
Year Civilian aircraft movements Military aircraft movements1 1991 17 45,000 1992 16 60,000 1993 20 61,000 19942 4 9,300 1 Approximate. 2 To date.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what scope there is to extend the existing runways at RAF Finningley within the aerodrome's existing curtilage.
§ Mr. HanleyThere is 800 ft of land between the airfield boundary and the threshold of the runway at Finningley. However, the use of this space for a runway extension is not considered practical, partly because of the obstacle presented to aircraft taking off or approaching by the railway line immediately outside the airfield's northern boundary, and partly because the land in question is low-lying and would therefore require extensive works to render it suitable for a runway extension.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence which is the largest(a) military and (b) civilian aircraft to have landed, or taken off, from RAF Finningley during the last 10 years.
§ Mr. HanleyThe largest military aircraft to have landed at, or taken off from, RAF Finningley during the last 10 years is a Lockheed C5 Galaxy, and the largest civilian aircraft to have done so is Concorde.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total annual cost of running the aerodrome at RAF Finningley.
§ Mr. HanleyFor financial year 1993–94 the estimated running costs for RAf Finningley are £30,700,000. This includes the operating costs of units based at or run from RAF Finningley, as well as the operating costs of the airfield.