MAGNIFICENT men and women have been guiding their flying machines through the North Yorkshire skies since aviation first took off. Aircraft landed at Knavesmire, thrilling the crowds, as early as 1914.

Pilots have long considered the Vale of York to be good flying country, "the land being flat and generally offering plenty of scope for forced landings," as the deputy city engineer wrote in 1938.

The RAF certainly agrees, running a string of air bases in the area. Yet York does not have a commercial airfield.

It did once. The York City Municipal Aerodrome was opened on what is now Clifton Moor in 1936. Then war intervened. Had circumstances been different, York might today boast its own international airport.

That opportunity has been forever lost, to the relief of those who would now live under its flight path. But now a new chapter in York's aviation history is about to be written. The company which runs Elvington Airfield is applying for a licence to take fare-paying passenger flights.

This could prove to be a useful resource for North Yorkshire. It is now commonplace for business leaders to take domestic inter-city flights, a trend encouraged by both the unreliability and expense of Britain's rail service. They would welcome the chance to fly direct to and from York rather than Leeds.

Residents of Elvington are bound to be concerned. Noise pollution is the bane of the lives of those living near airports. Property prices could be hit if activity at the airfield increased substantially.

Bosses at Elvington Park Ltd say the increase will be modest. They add that an air traffic control licence would even allow them to stop air enthusiasts "buzzing" the area, which, until now, has been an uncontrollable nuisance.

Now the plans are to be discussed at a meeting. We hope the company will be able to reassure Elvington residents that this is a limited, necessary development.

Updated: 10:23 Tuesday, February 05, 2002