Celeb flights could help save threatened Leuchars airfield

A-listers jetting into Leuchars could breathe fresh life into a threatened airfield.

A galaxy of stars from the world of sport, TV and movies have given a doomed air base a new lease of life.

RAF Leuchars in Fife is to be converted into an Army base by 2015, with its fast jets transferring to RAF Lossiemouth. But it’s emerged the airfield may have a future as a transport hub for the rich and famous.

Over the past six years almost 3,000 private jets have flown into Leuchars, with passengers including Hollywood A-listers, chart-topping singers, golfers and politicians.

They include Bill Clinton, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tiger Woods and Samuel L Jackson.

More than £450,000 has been raised from the flights, prompting demands for the base to be transformed into a commercial airport.

Roderick Campbell, MSP for North East Fife, said the figures proved opening a new airport could provide “a significant boom” to the region.

He said: “I have previously asked Fife Council and the Ministry of Defence to consider undertaking a feasibility study into the use of Leuchars for commercial flights. It is beyond time they did something positive for the community and they must make this a priority.”

Located just six miles from St Andrews, RAF Leuchars has become an ideal base for golfing superstars jetting in to play on the famous Old Course.

Some 152 private jets landed at the base in 2008, rising to 245 the following year, then 454 when the Open Championship was held at the ‘home of golf’ in 2010. A total of 222 planes landed in 2011 before rising to 1,007 in 2012.

With the MoD charging up to £125 in landing fees for large planes and £4.50 per hour for parking, the 2,850 flights over the past six years raked in £454,000.

On its website, the RAF informs civilian pilots they can only land between 8am and 5pm and points out the base cannot provide catering, cleaning or baggage handling facilities for the VIP passengers.

Yet over the years, famous faces including actor Bill Murray and South African golfer Ernie Els, have still opted for Leuchars, which can handle aircraft as large as Boeing 737s, over Edinburgh, Glasgow or Dundee airports.

Following the decision to close Leuchars, campaigners have lobbied Westminster to investigate the possibility of low-cost commercial airlines moving in.

In 2010 Ryanair expressed interest in taking over the running of the site as a base for expanding budget flights to Europe.

Soldiers from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and a battalion of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers are due to relocate to the Fife site from Germany.

However, there are fears the runway will become surplus to requirements, bringing an end to civilian flights at a time when St Andrews is due to host the 2015 Open.

A Scottish Government report last month concluded that operating air services at Leuchars “may be something that Transport Scotland could explore privately with the MoD”.