Donnington bosses want to close airport during Grand Prix
07.12.08
Organisers of the 2010 British Grand Prix at Donington want to limit the air traffic flying in and out of East Midlands Airport on race day. The race circuit is located half a mile west of the airport and the circuit chiefs are also reported to be hoping to use the airport exclusively for Formula 1 traffic at certain times, and close it during the race.
Donington boss Simon Gillett has said he is working with the airport to come to some kind of agreement over its use during the race weekend. He told the Loughborough Echo: ‘We are working with them to ensure we minimise air traffic. We don’t necessarily have to fully close them, but we are thinking when the race is on, no one is going to be flying in or out.'
‘The idea is that at peak times the airport has exclusive use for Formula 1 and us. We’re looking to charter a lot of planes. We would bring people in from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester, London, France, Belgium, Germany, all over Europe.’
However, a spokeswoman for East Midlands Airport told the newspaper that closing the airport had not been mentioned during talks over the 2010 event. She said: ‘We are holding discussions with Donington Park as part of a multi-agency group. These are ongoing, but closing the airport hasn’t been raised in these meetings.’
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