Can Eddie Stobart conquer the skies?

The famous green and red colours of the Eddie Stobart lorry fleet could soon be taking to the skies.
There are ambitious plans to develop Carlisle Airport for commercial and freight flights by 2009.
And the Stobart brand, best known for its haulage trucks, could soon be seen by passengers flying to London, Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin.
Stobart Air, part of parent company WA Developments, believes it can tap into the lucrative business traveller market, as well as offering tourists a fast route to the Lake District, Hadrian's Wall and the border areas.
There is a big attraction for people to fly under the banner of Stobart Air, as Eddie Stobart is an iconic company
Airport director Richard Gordon
In terms of freight, the firm says there is potential to use the airport's road links to Scotland and the north-east of England to establishing a "niche" operation, possibly supplying supermarkets.
Stobart Air took over ownership of the airport last year and submitted its £25m expansion plan to Carlisle City Council earlier this month.
It wants to build a new runway, passenger and air freight terminals, control tower, hangars and warehouses.
'Iconic company'
The scheme also includes moving the Eddie Stobart headquarters and WA Developments to the site.
Richard Gordon, airport director for Stobart Air, said preliminary discussions had been held with flight operators.

Stobart recently upgraded its fleet of trucks
"It is very early days but we have been talking to commercial airlines about operating services from Carlisle, if the planning application is approved.
"It may be the case that we team up with an airline for some sort of joint venture.
"There is a big attraction for people to fly under the banner of Stobart Air, as Eddie Stobart is an iconic company.
"If we did go down that line the planes would fly under the famous green and red livery."
He predicted that the airport could be used by up to 180,000 passengers per year by 2014.
Local concerns
A twice daily passenger service to either Stansted or Luton airports had been identified as the key route for the company.
Surveys had also established Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin as other potential routes.
The small scale air freight operation outlined in the proposals was unlikely to lead to a cut in the haulage firm's 800 trucks.
People living near Carlisle airport are being invited to an open meeting at Newtown Village Hall on Thursday night about the expansion plans.

Plans include building a new runway
Concerns about the impact of the scheme on nearby villages have been raised by residents.
Eddie Stobart joined his father's agricultural contracting business in the 1960s and, over the next 30 years, built the firm into the UK's largest privately-owned haulage company.
In November 2003, the company was taken over by railway infrastructure company WA Developments. The haulage firm then merged with Westbury Property Fund Limited to form the Stobart Group, which is now listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Eddie Stobart stepped down as chief executive of the company, to be replaced by another Stobart - his brother William, who had been operations director before joining WA.
William's co-partner at WA, Andrew Tinkler, joined the haulier as chief executive.
The firm, which began operating a rail freight service last year, runs a lucrative fan club with a range of toys and T-shirts. There is even an animated TV series featuring Steady Eddie.

MP's freight tax

MP's freight tax to cut A14 jams

The MP says there needs to be an alternative to roadsLorries using the A14 could be charged for every mile they travel under a proposal by an MP to get freight off roads and onto the railways.
David Howarth, MP for Cambridge, said the move would ease congestion on the road between Felixstowe in Suffolk and the M6 in the Midlands.
The Road Haulage Association, which represents lorry operators, said HGVs were not the cause of the problem.
Mr Howarth said: "We need to persuade companies to send freight by rail."
He said: "The government failed to back a bid for European funding for the Felixstowe to Nuneaton rail scheme.
Better rail services
"This scheme is essential to provide a real alternative to the A14 for freight.
"The tax would also mean investment in better rail services for both passengers and freight."
Martin Dean, from the Road Haulage Association, said lorry drivers were not the problem.
He said: "Cars travel 44.8 billion kilometres on rural trunk roads like the A14, compared with 5.6 billion kilometres for all goods vehicles.
"The number of cars will increase by 5.7% by 2101, compared with 0.9% growth of all goods vehicles."

Bankrupt firm's fleet auctioned

All of Reid Transport's vehicles are being sold at auctionThe vehicles of a County Antrim haulage company, which went bankrupt with the loss of 200 jobs, have been sold.
Reid Transport Ltd called in PricewaterhouseCoopers to act as administrators last month after attempts to sell the company failed.
The firm's fleet of more than 50 lorries and trucks was sold at public auction on Tuesday.
Following some controversy, staff who lost their jobs have now received money they were owed in unpaid wages.
Workers blockaded the company's Cloughmills headquarters last month over fears they would not be paid.
The dispute was brought to an end when PricewaterhouseCoopers said the 200 staff would get the money before Christmas.
A spokesperson for the ex-employees said on Monday they had been paid.
Police have also been called in to investigate employment practices at the company after a 14-year-old boy said he had worked night shifts at the company's Cloughmills headquarters.