The UK Government has approved plans to transform closed Manston International Airport in Kent into an international airfreight hub set to commence operation in 2023.

RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP), which has acquired all rights and interests for the airport, said on July 9 that the UK’s Department for Transport has granted it the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the project with the construction set to start in 2021 and cargo services to commence in the first quarter of 2023.

RSP has committed to an investment of GBP300 million (US$376.47 million) to rebuild the airport as a global freight hub.

Manston Airport — located around 100 km east of London —  shutdown in 2014 when it failed as a short-haul airport serving the locale. 

Once done, the redeveloped airport is capable of handling at least 10,000 air cargo movements per year.

Manston Airport will also offer 19 stands capable of handling wide-body freighters, but also larger types, and will also include a 65,500 sq m cargo facility and a control tower.

RSP earlier pitched the project of redeveloping Manston for all-cargo freighters that cannot be served in the already-congested main airports in the UK. 

The project is expected to generate more than 23,000 jobs by the airport's 20th year of operation.