Consortium behind FlyPlymouth launches second £75,000 crowdfunder

FlyPlymouth is to launch its second fundraising campaign this week, running through to 29th October, seeking to raise £75,000. This money will provide the pre-revenue company with operational funding as well as a war chest as it prepares for an important planning battle to get Plymouth City Airport re-opened – initially for general and business aviation flights. The project is an ‘all embracing’ community initiative with the intention that the freehold will be transferred out of the commercial sector. The group behind FlyPlymouth ran a petition in 2012, collecting positive signatures from 38,000 people. “This showed us that 15% of Plymouth people are in favour of re-opening the airport and we are confident that more will come forward in the next round, largely because of the so-called Brexit bounce,” said FlyPlymouth Chief Executive Raoul Witherall. Importantly, Plymouth City Council responded to the Group’s earlier efforts (between 2011-2014) by stating that the airport is to be safeguarded in the Draft Plymouth Plan for aviation use between now and 2031. “The Plymouth Plan specifies only GA, but leaves the opportunity for scheduled operations open (in the longer term),” Raoul added.