Airport cancels flights for church service

An historic church is celebrating as a nearby airport has agreed to ban some of its flights on Sundays as they would disturb the church's service.

West Wales Airport was urged by Ceredigion councillors to halt its flights between 10.30 am and 11.30 am GMT, as a service was held every week at that time at the nearby Blaenannerch Methodist Chapel.

An airport representative, Managing Director Ray Mann, confirmed that the airport would be heeding to the request.

The historical Grade-II listed chapel is heralded as being at the centre of a religious revival in 1904. However, the chapel now stands perilously close to the airport, being situated between Cardigan and Aberystwyth, and runs parallel with the runway.

Mann told the BBC, "We will be good neighbours. We will ensure the protocols at the airport will meet the requirements at the chapel.

"We operate in the community and not apart from it. We have in the past voluntarily ceased flights when a funeral has been held at the chapel.

"Sometimes people don't realise that we are sensitive neighbours."

Currently the airport is undergoing a £5 million redevelopment, which is expected to create around 50 new jobs.

In 2007, Mr Mann stated that the number of planes landing and taking off at the airport would probably rise from the current level of 2,000 per year to 8,000 in the long-term, under the project plans.