BIGGIN Hill Airport will not appeal against Bromley Council’s decision to reject its application to extend opening hours during the Olympics.

On Monday, the council turned down the airport’s request to change its lease so it can stay open between 6.30am and 11pm from July 13 to September 13 in 2012.

Its current opening hours are between 6.30am and 10pm on weekdays, and from 9am to 8pm at weekends.

At a press conference this afternoon, Andrew Walters, chairman of the airport, said an appeal would be pointless because the process would not be complete before air space is allocated for the 2012 Games and people start booking flights.

He said: “The sad thing is that the legal process will take longer than the few months we have left to organise the event.”

Mr Walters says he is “extremely surprised and disappointed” by the council’s decision to “refuse proposals that would showcase the borough during the 2012 Olympics, and at the same time increase jobs, attract investment and earn additional money for the council”.

He said 75 new jobs would have been created by the lengthened opening hours, and claimed many local businesses and residents were in favour of the plans.

Mr Walters said: “The losers are the local businesses, the local shopkeepers and perhaps many of the residents of the borough who take great pride in London hosting the Olympics.”

A consultation on the application saw 95 per cent of the 2,194 respondents oppose the plans, with just 112 in favour.

Those against the plans feared extending the opening times would set a precedent for future changes to the lease, and there were also concerns about an increase in noise pollution.