By Matthew Legg

Last updated 12:54, Monday, 25 February 2008

CARLISLE airport bosses have signed up a north west design agency in a bid to take the brand nationwide.

Glorious Creative, a Manchester and Liverpool-based consultancy, is among a roster of agencies tasked with developing an identity for the airport and promoting it across Britain and Europe.

Subject to planning approval, the Carlisle Lake District Airport will be launched this year by Andrew Tinkler’s WA Developments.

Talking about the Glorious deal, Alison Schmutz, aviation co-ordinator at Carlisle Airport, said: “This is an exciting plan which has involved months of planning. We’ve been working closely with Glorious and a few other agencies who we’ve traditionally worked with, developing a marketing strategy which reflects our beautiful location.

“Currently no-one really knows about Carlisle Airport outside Carlisle. First impressions count, and initially anyway, the identity will be our key way to generate interest and express the quality of the product we will be offering.”

Mr Tinkler – the man behind the dramatic rise of the Eddie Stobart haulage business – bought the former RAF base with the intention of moving his businesses there and building an international flight operation.

There are plans to run ten passenger flights a day, with London as the first route, and Dublin and Amsterdam also in the frame as possible destinations.

WA believes that the airport is capable of handling more than 200,000 passengers a year within a decade.

The firm has submitted plans for a £35m redevelopment of the airport into an international operation with new runway, terminal, air traffic control facilities, hangars and warehousing.

A crunch meeting on the future of the proposal, scheduled for this week, had to be postponed as planners were still waiting for key information.