Haverfordwest airport’s new operators are expected to take their lease up in the next few days as part of a drive to make the facility cost-neutral to Pembrokeshire County Council.

Back in 2024, members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet supported the leasing of the council-run Withybush Airport as part of plans to make the facility cost-neutral to the authority.

In 2023, Cabinet members heard the financial position at the council-supported Haverfordwest/Withybush airport deteriorated in 2022/23, with an out-turn position for 2022/23 of £238,000.

That loss was been reduced to an expected £119,000 for 2023/24 “following an extensive review of the operations of the airport”.

Cabinet members, back in 2024, heard there would be a requirement on leases to obtain/keep a CAA [Civil Aviation Authority] Cat II licence and at a market rent, which would “make the airport cost-neutral to the council from the day the lease is signed, whilst also ensuring that an operational airport remains for Pembrokeshire to benefit from”.

“Any lease would have to allow the operator to run the airport on the commercial terms of their choosing to give a chance of long-term sustainability, so, the council will lose full control of how the airport operates.

“However, any lease will require that the airport be maintained to an acceptable standard and that a CAA Cat II licence is maintained. If these terms of the agreement are breached, then the facility will return to the council.”

Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller at the time said: “The airport is a valuable facility and one I’m keen to maintain; I personally recognise that maintaining an ongoing public subsidy is not something we’re particularly keen to do indefinitely.”

He added: “What the lease, we believe, will do is maintain a franchising CAT II airport in Haverfordwest and remove our liability from day one.”

At the March 2025 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, members heard the final paperwork was “on track” to hand the airport over to the new operators by the start of April, with the facility becoming “cost-neutral” to the authority “from the moment it’s handed over to the operator”.

Committee chair Cllr Mark Carter said: “It cost us around £100-200,000 per year; fingers crossed, I’m sure all members are delighted with this.”

Members heard the initial lease would be for a 15-year period, rent-free for the first five years to allow the lease to invest in the site.