As the wrangling continues over the future of the Manston site, former staff reflect on what for some has been a difficult year.

Marta Easton, 56, from Ramsgate, was the longest-serving member of staff at the airport when it shut.

She had worked there for 25 years and was already enduring tough times when it closed, midway through a battle with cancer.

“Most of the females were just in tears – I was one of them,” she said.

“Even some guys were crying. No-one could believe it.

“I should’ve had a hospital appointment afterwards but I had to come home and freshen myself up before I went – it was unbelievable.”

Watch: Manston Airport, one year on

In recent weeks, the fight to save the airport has gained momentum, with a cross-party support for the site re-opening as a commercial freight hub.

Sir Roger Gale, the member for Thanet North, claims Manston airport could employ 2,000 people within two years as the campaign to reopen its runway reignites after the election.

Sir Roger criticised the site’s owners a year to the day since the runway closed, costing 150 jobs.

He said there was a lack of detail in plans they revealed last week to turn Manston into a business park and homes.

He also and dismissed attacks on the business case of RiverOak, the US group which has said it wants to run Manston as a cargo airport.

The MP also dismissed claims the proposals put forward by Trevor Cartner and Chris Musgrave, the site’s owners, would create 4,000 jobs.

This week the pair, who also own Discovery Park business site in Sandwich, said council plans to buy Manston using a compulsory purchase order would fail even if they had “all the political will in the world”.

Sir Roger said: “They would say that wouldn’t they. Yes it is a legal process but it is fairly straight forward.

“I can’t see the justification for what Cartner and Musgrave are trying to do.

“They say they’ll create 4,000 jobs over 20 years and they’ve not achieved anything like their targets for Discovery Park or Wynyard Park.

“Manston could employ 2,000 people in two years’ time.”

The announcement comes at a turbulent time following national and local elections which has seen politicians in favour of reopening the airport sweep to power.

“I would guess it’s not a blank cheque. I think they have a pretty shrewd estimate of what they can afford but they’d be foolish to share that with me”

Both Conservative candidates for Thanet’s two parliamentary seats were elected after releasing a five-point plan to bring back flights.

Meanwhile, the council has become the first Ukip-led local authority in the UK, with leader-elect Chris Wells pledging to reopen Manston.

However, Mr Wells raised concerns about the amount of money needed to fund a compulsory purchase order for the site, which RiverOak has pledged to fully fund.

The issue will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the council after the full council meeting on Thursday.

Mr Wells said: “We have an estimate of how much it will cost in the short term, and we’ve asked RiverOak to put that sum in an account so we can start the processes.

“As things develop we may have to ask them to put in increasingly larger sums depending on how long the battle goes on.

“I would guess it’s not a blank cheque. I think they have a pretty shrewd estimate of what they can afford but they’d be foolish to share that with me.”

“When we sit down with the council and explain to them exactly what we’re proposing then their view might start to change” - Trevor Cartner

Manston airport closed on May 15 last year, barely six months after it was bought by Scottish businesswoman Ann Gloag for £1.

Mrs Gloag, who co-founded Stagecoach, has since sold the airport to developers Mr Cartner and Mr Musgrave but retains a 20% stake in the site.

Yet uncertainty remains about its future, with owners making it clear they are prepared to fight a legal battle for “many years”.

They maintain their vision for the site will help to kick start regeneration in the town.

Mr Cartner said: “This is an 800 acre site and it’s a 20-year plan. The additional costs of a CPO are not something we would choose but it doesn’t alter our plans. It just slows them down.

“There is still the post-election result excitement and that’s what we’re in at the minute.

“We’re more bullish that we were 12 months ago. Our model is quite a bit different than the prior owners in that it doesn’t focus on passengers" - George Yerrall, RiverOak

“When we sit down with the council and explain to them exactly what we’re proposing then their view might start to change.”

However, bosses at RiverOak say they are “comfortable” they could get the airport running an operating profit within 18 months.

Partner George Yerrall said: “The business plan we’ve articulated involving both cargo and full-served has gained steam in the airline investment community.

“We’re more bullish that we were 12 months ago. Our model is quite a bit different than the prior owners in that it doesn’t focus on passengers to get it up and running and profitable.

“We would be comfortable adding a passenger component after it was profitable but the prior owners have focuses on that as a focal point of a strategy.

“Our take is different. We think if we make it a cargo and logistics centre we’ve got a much shorter run and a much straighter line to profitability.”

Reporting by Chris Price, Gareth Arnold and Graham Stothard

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