Blackpool Airport closed on the evening of Oct. 15, an hour after the final commercial flight left for the Isle of Man. It ends over 100 years of aviation on the site close to the once-mighty resort in northern England. But this is only the latest in a number of closures seen as U.K. airports struggle to remain open against high fees and low passenger numbers.

Blackpool never really had much chance in the big leagues given its proximity to Manchester, Leeds Bradford and Liverpool airports, but it was part of a large and genuine catchment area and capable of generating passengers for its handful of regional and holiday services.

Owner Balfour Beatty had put the airport up for sale in August, citing 2 million pounds per year in losses, and giving the October deadline for finding a buyer before calling it a day and letting the liquidators in. Reductions in passenger services and thus revenues made the operation untenable, despite a variety of other aviation-related companies being based onsite and a busy helicopter operation to offshore oil rigs.

Blackpool is the latest in a string of U.K. airports to close or lose scheduled air services, following Plymouth, Manston and Bristol Filton in recent years. Others are looking nervously at the books as losses mount.

Recently, a new group has been formed out of smaller U.K. regional airports to champion their cause, and includes Durham Tees Valley, Exeter, Newquay, Norwich and Southend. Part of their aim is to lobby the British government on Air Passenger Duty (APD), which is the highest in the world and continues to rise each year.

They say APD stifling growth of air services in the region and turning passengers away from the flights that do exist. They also want to see easier access to Heathrow, the country's main hub, which is currently at capacity and expensive for airlines operating smaller aircraft on domestic routes.

"The government should recognize that small airports serve a vital role in their policy of rebalancing the economy, and if they're going to serve the less well-connected regions they are going to need some breaks," said John Spooner, head of Regional and City Airports Management, which operated Blackpool.

Many airports are turning to other income streams as a measure to counter their losses.

Durham Tees Valley recently announced a master plan to use spare land to build housing and commercial properties. Those profits would then make capital available to build aviation-related facilities such as hangars, warehouses and aircraft servicing — promoting general aviation, maintenance, executive aircraft and aircraft scrapping as a means of keeping its runway and aprons open without having to rely on passenger routes.

Similar schemes are in the planning at other airports, such as Cambridge and Newcastle. Gloucester Staverton has already made the leap, becoming one of the busiest general aviation airports in the U.K. by encouraging this activity instead of trying to add more airline routes.

For the airports that have closed, the outlook seems terminal. Despite pleas from locals, Plymouth will remain closed, and Manston is to be developed as a site for housing, schools and manufacturing industries.

Blackpool, it is hoped, will reopen at some point for aviation activities, but it is unlikely to open again as a commercial airport.