Blackpool Airport
Encyclopedia
Blackpool International Airport is an international airport
on the Fylde
coast of Lancashire
, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool
. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport.
With aviation roots that trace back to 1909, Blackpool Airport was the first aviation site in the UK. The airport was owned and operated by City Hopper Airports Limited, which also owns Wolverhampton Airport
and Biella Airport in Italy
, before, in January 2007, being placed under new management after one of its two major shareholders bought out its partner. MAR Properties Ltd agreed terms to take over full control of Blackpool and Wolverhampton Airports. In May 2008, it was announced that Balfour Beatty
had purchased MAR Property's 95% stake in the airport. The remaining 5% stake is held by Blackpool Borough Council.
Blackpool Airport Limited has a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P724) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. By the number of passengers handled, Blackpool is the 33rd busiest in the UK
.
Several scheduled airlines operate from the airport, as well as charter holiday flights in the summer months. Executive flights operated by J-Max Air Services, which includes Netjets
, are also served from Blackpool. Helicopter operations serve north west England’s Irish Sea offshore gas facilities. This service is operated by Bond Offshore Helicopters
. Blackpool Airport is also home to the North West Air Ambulance service operated by a twin-engined Eurocopter EC 135
.
Passenger numbers decreased sharply from 439,200 in 2008 to 235,340 in 2010, a 46.3% reduction.
, followed by another in 1910. By 1911 the site had become a racecourse and it was used as a military hospital during World War I
and until 1924. Flights from the site resumed in the early 1930s. Small UK airlines used the airfield during the mid 1930s. Railway Air Services
commenced schedules to Blackpool from 15 April 1935, linking the airport with the Isle of Man, Manchester and Liverpool. Connections could be made at the two cities to London and the south and west of England. In June 1937, airline operations were transferred to Stanley Park Aerodrome
.
The sister of aviation pioneer Amy Johnson
lived in Stanley Park, resulting in her often paying a visit; Johnson's last complete flight was a ferry flight for the ATA from Squires Gate to Oxford.
in 1938. Three bituminous runways were laid to support operations, with squadrons stationed at RAF Squires Gate during World War II
including:
RAF Coastal Command
also established an operational base on site, and expanded RAF Warton to act as a satellite airfield.
camps at Weeton and Kirkham
, by utilising: the large number of Guest House
s; plus the beaches, pier
and the Winter Gardens for exercising; 769,673 recruits received their basic training
at Blackpool. The RAF also established two specialist training schools:
to operate an aircraft production facility at Squires Gate, producing 2,584 Wellington
Medium bomber
s, several hundred of which were assembled and flown from Stanley Park Aerodrome. Closed in 1945, the factory was reopened by Hawker Aircraft
in the mid 1950s to produce the production Hawker Hunter
jet fighters
, under contract Contract SP/6ACFT/9817/CB 7a.
in summer 1946. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation and other private airlines established their bases at the airport from 1946 onwards. By 1949, the airfield was controlled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and renamed Blackpool Airport.
Until January 2006 an Avro Vulcan
bomber (serial number:
XL391) was on static display outside the entrance to the airport. It was originally put up for sale in October 2004 on eBay and purchased by pub landlord Chris Ollerenshaw for £15,102.03 who had intentions to transport it to his pub and display it in his beer garden. However after finding out that the condition of the aircraft was so poor that moving it would be extremely challenging and that it would cost over £20,000 in addition to the reported £1000 a week storage charge, Mr Ollernshaw pulled out of the deal and demanded his money back and later relinquished ownership of the plane back to the airport. The Vulcan was then sold on for scrap for £4000 and was scrapped and completely removed from the site on 12 January 2006.
, and attracting scheduled flights from budget airlines, Jet2
and Ryanair
and also scheduled services by smaller operators to the Isle of Man
. Since World War II, the airport has also been a thriving centre for private, club and general aviation. Ryanair have since left the airport.
In 2005, Jet2
became the first major low cost airline to base an aircraft at Blackpool Airport. This created around 50 new jobs and boosted passenger numbers. It now serves seven destinations from the airport - five in Spain and the Canaries (Palma
, Alicante
, Murcia, Tenerife South
, Malaga
), one in Portugal (Faro
). Jet2 also offers a domestic service to Belfast
Also in 2005, Monarch
set up a new route to Malaga
, three times a week. After a year though the airline ceased services, blaming low passenger numbers as the reason. However, Jet2.com had earlier announced that it would be operating flights to Malaga.
In February 2006, the airport completed an investment of £2 million in refurbishing the airport terminal and car parks. The improvements included more check-in desks, new eating facilities, a new information desk, an open-plan departure lounge, more gates, new shopping facilities, an executive lounge, a new flight information system, an additional baggage reclaim belt and a new interior colour scheme and logo.
A new long stay car park was created while the existing area was extended. Later in 2006 the aircraft parking area was extended.
British North West Airlines, the smallest airline based at Blackpool has now, according to its website, stopped trading for both charter and scheduled flights. The website links all viewers to Manx2
, which is now flying the route up to four times a day. Manx2 has brought low fares to the Isle of Man route, and passenger numbers on this route doubled in January 2007.
With the growth of the airport, a new carrier, the ACMI company
, Jetstream Executive, operating under the name, Jetstream Express
, introduced flights in 2007 from the airport to Belfast City Airport
from (May), Aberdeen Airport
(from June) and Southampton Airport
(from July). The Belfast route was in competition with Jet2.com, who operate twice daily between Blackpool and Belfast International Airport
. Two Jetstream 31s were based at the airport. However, in June 2007 a notice appeared on the Jetsteam Express website stating - "With immediate effect, Jetstream Express have ceased operating the routes to Blackpool, Aberdeen, Southampton and Belfast", adding that all flights were withdrawn as the routes have not proved viable.
In 2007 Jet2 cancelled its Prague and Amsterdam services. Ryanair also cancelled its twice daily flights to London Stansted stating that it fell into the bottom three routes across its network.
On 6 May 2008, Balfour Beatty bought a 95% stake in the airport for £14million. The construction company also owns Exeter Airport
. The company stated that one of their top priorities is to re-establish a link to London, which Blackpool lost in 2007 when Ryanair discontinued its Stansted route.
On 18 July 2008, the Blackpool Gazette
announced that Jet2 planned to suspend its daily service from Blackpool to Belfast International for the winter. A dip in passenger numbers and the rising price of oil has taken its toll on the service. According to the newspaper, Jet2 will restart the daily Belfast service from March 2009.
In the summer of 2008 Ryanair announced a large cut in capacity at a number of airports, including Stansted, from October 2008 to March 2009, although Blackpool was not affected by these cuts. However, on 25 November 2008 Ryanair announced the intention to withdraw all flights from 5 January 2009 following the airport's introduction of a £10 per person Airport Development Fee.
After the £10 Airport Development Fee was introduced, a new airline was sought to replace Ryanair
on its very popular route to Dublin
. Aer Arann
were their successors and commenced operations shortly after. The short hop over the Irish Sea is operated daily by an ATR 72
turboprop aircraft and has the possibility of catching a connecting flight to New York directly from Dublin. The airline has since merged with Aer Lingus
and now operates under the titles of Aer Lingus Regional.
During 2011 the airport has undergone a few changes on the airfield itself. Runway 07/25 has been closed as an active runway and has now been opened as Taxiway C running the full length of the old runway. Therefore the old Taxiway C has been closed and the northern part of it (between Runway 10/28 and the old Runway 07/25) has been opened as an extension of Taxiway E. Another notable change has been the relocation of the airport's Fire Services. They have been moved from their position north of the fuel farm to a more central position in between the terminal and some of the flying clubs on the Taxiway B ramp.
Blackburn Botha
trainer and a Boulton Paul Defiant
fighter, serials L6509 and N1745 respectively, collided in midair over the sea, just off Blackpool's central seafront. The debris from the collision was strewn over a large area but a large part of it struck the then Blackpool Central railway station
causing severe damage and killing 12 people. Both aircraft had taken off from Blackpool Airport.
On 29 June 1972 a HFB-320 Hansa Jet
, registration D-CASY crashed on take-off. The pilot attempted to abort the take-off but over shot the end of the runway, crossed some grass land to the airport boundary. The aircraft then crossed over railway lines and continued into a holiday camp immediately bordering the airport, demolishing six chalets, damaging several others and finally catching fire. 2 crew members and 5 of the 6 passengers were killed. Nobody in the holiday camp was hurt.
On 27 September 1982, Douglas C-47 G-AKNB of Harvest Air was damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Blackpool Airport.
On 27 December 2006 a Eurocopter AS365N
, registration G-BLUN
, crashed into the Irish Sea
, 24 miles offshore because of pilot error. There were 7 persons onboard the helicopter, 5 passengers and 2 crew members. There have been 6 bodies recovered and the 7th body is still reported to be missing. The helicopter was based at Blackpool Airport and the flight had also originated from the Squires Gate base.
On 3 February 2007 a Piper Cherokee
registered G-BBBK was approaching the airport when it crashed on to the beach on the Fylde Coast
. The flight had originated from Exeter Airport and was returning to the field following a VFR flight and was arriving in thick fog. The Cherokee missed the turn onto the final approach of Runway 10 and continued several miles North before running out of altitude and ending up on the beach between the Central and Southern piers. Both men were killed in the crash.
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
on the Fylde
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
coast of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport.
With aviation roots that trace back to 1909, Blackpool Airport was the first aviation site in the UK. The airport was owned and operated by City Hopper Airports Limited, which also owns Wolverhampton Airport
Wolverhampton Airport
Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport , formerly Halfpenny Green Airport and Wolverhampton Business Airport, locally Bobbington Airport, is a small, airport situated near the village of Bobbington, South Staffordshire...
and Biella Airport in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, before, in January 2007, being placed under new management after one of its two major shareholders bought out its partner. MAR Properties Ltd agreed terms to take over full control of Blackpool and Wolverhampton Airports. In May 2008, it was announced that Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
had purchased MAR Property's 95% stake in the airport. The remaining 5% stake is held by Blackpool Borough Council.
Blackpool Airport Limited has a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P724) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. By the number of passengers handled, Blackpool is the 33rd busiest in the UK
Busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic
The tables below contain CAA data from 2006 to 2009, on the busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic, including information on international, domestic and transit counterparts...
.
Several scheduled airlines operate from the airport, as well as charter holiday flights in the summer months. Executive flights operated by J-Max Air Services, which includes Netjets
NetJets
NetJets, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, offers fractional ownership and rental of private business jets.-History:NetJets Inc., formerly Executive Jet Aviation, was founded in 1964 as one of the first private business jet charter and aircraft management companies...
, are also served from Blackpool. Helicopter operations serve north west England’s Irish Sea offshore gas facilities. This service is operated by Bond Offshore Helicopters
Bond Offshore Helicopters
Bond Offshore Helicopters is a British Helicopter operator, specialising in providing offshore helicopter transportation services between Aberdeen, Scotland and several North Sea Oil platforms...
. Blackpool Airport is also home to the North West Air Ambulance service operated by a twin-engined Eurocopter EC 135
Eurocopter EC 135
The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter, widely used amongst police and ambulance services and for executive transport. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules .-Development:...
.
Passenger numbers decreased sharply from 439,200 in 2008 to 235,340 in 2010, a 46.3% reduction.
History
The airport site's first aviation use was in October 1909, when the UK's first official public Flying Meeting was held on a specially laid out site at Squires GateSquires Gate, Blackpool
Squires Gate is a district in the town of Blackpool on the Fylde coast in the county of Lancashire, England. It is located at the south of the town near the boundary with Lytham St Annes....
, followed by another in 1910. By 1911 the site had become a racecourse and it was used as a military hospital during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and until 1924. Flights from the site resumed in the early 1930s. Small UK airlines used the airfield during the mid 1930s. Railway Air Services
Railway Air Services
Railway Air Services was a British airline formed in March 1934 by four railway companies and Imperial Airways. The airline was a domestic airline operating routes within the United Kingdom linking up with Imperial's services....
commenced schedules to Blackpool from 15 April 1935, linking the airport with the Isle of Man, Manchester and Liverpool. Connections could be made at the two cities to London and the south and west of England. In June 1937, airline operations were transferred to Stanley Park Aerodrome
Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool)
Stanley Park Aerodrome was an airfield located in the Stanley Park area of Blackpool, Lancashire England which was in use for civil and military flying from 1929 until closure of the airfield in 1947...
.
The sister of aviation pioneer Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson CBE, was a pioneering English aviator. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, Johnson set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s...
lived in Stanley Park, resulting in her often paying a visit; Johnson's last complete flight was a ferry flight for the ATA from Squires Gate to Oxford.
RAF Squires Gate
Work on enlarging and improving the airfield and facilities began in late 1937, but the aerodrome was requistioned by the Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
in 1938. Three bituminous runways were laid to support operations, with squadrons stationed at RAF Squires Gate during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
including:
- No. 63 SquadronNo. 63 Squadron RAF-In World War I:No. 63 Squadron was formed on 31 August 1916 at Stirling, Scotland as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. The squadron was intended to operate as a day-bomber unit over the Western Front in France, and was therefore equipped with de Havilland DH4 aircraft; however at the last...
, September 1939 to January 1940 - No. 75 SquadronNo. 75 Squadron RAFNo. 75 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated as a bomber unit in World War II, before being transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1945.-First World War, Royal Flying Corps, Home Defence Squadron :...
September 1939 to January 1940 - No. 215 SquadronNo. 215 Squadron RAFNo. 215 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron formed as a night bomber squadron in World War I and again in World War II, becoming a transport squadron near the end of the Second World War.-History:...
, September 1939 to January 1940 - No. 96 SquadronNo. 96 Squadron RAFNo. 96 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron. The squadron served on the Western Front during World War II and the Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II. No. 96 Squadron served in a variety of roles such as night fighter cover and transportation. It was disbanded in 1959,...
- No. 256 SquadronNo. 256 Squadron RAFNo. 256 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It operated Defiant Mk IIs out of RAF Squires Gate in the night defence of Liverpool....
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
also established an operational base on site, and expanded RAF Warton to act as a satellite airfield.
Training wing
The RAF also selected Blackpool as one of its Training Wings due to the availability of accommodation. With training based between Squires Gate and the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
camps at Weeton and Kirkham
Kirkham, Lancashire
Kirkham, or as it once was known, Kirkam-in-Amounderness is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England, midway between Blackpool and Preston and adjacent to the smaller town of Wesham. It owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location...
, by utilising: the large number of Guest House
Guest House
Guest House is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the treatment of Catholic priests, deacons, brothers, seminarians who suffer from alcoholism, other chemical dependencies and other addictions involving food and gambling...
s; plus the beaches, pier
Blackpool pier
Blackpool pier may refer to one of three piers in the English seaside resort town of Blackpool, in Lancashire:*North Pier, Blackpool*Central Pier, Blackpool*South Pier, Blackpool...
and the Winter Gardens for exercising; 769,673 recruits received their basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
at Blackpool. The RAF also established two specialist training schools:
- No: 3 School of General Reconnaissance
- No. 5 School of Technical Training, for air mechanics
Vickers shadow factory
The Ministry of War allowed VickersVickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
to operate an aircraft production facility at Squires Gate, producing 2,584 Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
Medium bomber
Medium bomber
A medium bomber is a bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium bombloads over medium distances; the name serves to distinguish them from the larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers...
s, several hundred of which were assembled and flown from Stanley Park Aerodrome. Closed in 1945, the factory was reopened by Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer responsible for some of the most famous products in British aviation history.-History:...
in the mid 1950s to produce the production Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
jet fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, under contract Contract SP/6ACFT/9817/CB 7a.
Post World War 2
Scheduled flights were resumed by Isle of Man Air ServicesIsle of Man Air Services
Isle of Man Air Services Ltd was a small airline, based at Ronaldsway Airport Isle of Man, which operated scheduled flights to the English mainland between September 1937 and January 1947.-Formation:...
in summer 1946. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation and other private airlines established their bases at the airport from 1946 onwards. By 1949, the airfield was controlled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and renamed Blackpool Airport.
Until January 2006 an Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
bomber (serial number:
United Kingdom military aircraft serials
In the United Kingdom to identify individual aircraft, all military aircraft are allocated and display a unique serial number. A unified serial number system, maintained by the Air Ministry , and its successor the Ministry of Defence , is used for aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force , Fleet...
XL391) was on static display outside the entrance to the airport. It was originally put up for sale in October 2004 on eBay and purchased by pub landlord Chris Ollerenshaw for £15,102.03 who had intentions to transport it to his pub and display it in his beer garden. However after finding out that the condition of the aircraft was so poor that moving it would be extremely challenging and that it would cost over £20,000 in addition to the reported £1000 a week storage charge, Mr Ollernshaw pulled out of the deal and demanded his money back and later relinquished ownership of the plane back to the airport. The Vulcan was then sold on for scrap for £4000 and was scrapped and completely removed from the site on 12 January 2006.
Current operations
In recent years the airport has been steadily expanding, accommodating helicopter operations for British GasCentrica
Centrica plc is a multinational utility company, based in the United Kingdom but also with interests in North America. Centrica is the largest supplier of gas to domestic customers in the UK, and one of the largest suppliers of electricity, operating under the trading names "Scottish Gas" in...
, and attracting scheduled flights from budget airlines, Jet2
Jet2.com
Jet2.com Limited is a British low-cost airline based at Leeds Bradford Airport, England. It operates services from eight UK bases to 54 destinations. The airline also offers contract charter and air cargo services. Its main base and headquarters is at Leeds Bradford Airport, with smaller bases at...
and Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
and also scheduled services by smaller operators to the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. Since World War II, the airport has also been a thriving centre for private, club and general aviation. Ryanair have since left the airport.
In 2005, Jet2
Jet2.com
Jet2.com Limited is a British low-cost airline based at Leeds Bradford Airport, England. It operates services from eight UK bases to 54 destinations. The airline also offers contract charter and air cargo services. Its main base and headquarters is at Leeds Bradford Airport, with smaller bases at...
became the first major low cost airline to base an aircraft at Blackpool Airport. This created around 50 new jobs and boosted passenger numbers. It now serves seven destinations from the airport - five in Spain and the Canaries (Palma
Palma de Mallorca Airport
Palma de Mallorca Airport is an airport located east of Palma, Majorca, adjacent to the village of Can Pastilla. Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeroport de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid's Barajas Airport and Barcelona Airport...
, Alicante
Alicante Airport
Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty...
, Murcia, Tenerife South
Tenerife South Airport
Tenerife South Airport , previously known as Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport, is one of two international airports located on the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands . Between its opening and the end of 2006, a total of 173,912,207 passengers passed through the airport...
, Malaga
Málaga Airport
Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol....
), one in Portugal (Faro
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
). Jet2 also offers a domestic service to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
Also in 2005, Monarch
Monarch Airlines
Monarch Airlines, often shortened to and trading as Monarch, is a British charter and scheduled airline based at London Luton Airport in Luton. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest charter airlines, operating to Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, India and Africa, serving mainly leisure...
set up a new route to Malaga
Málaga Airport
Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol....
, three times a week. After a year though the airline ceased services, blaming low passenger numbers as the reason. However, Jet2.com had earlier announced that it would be operating flights to Malaga.
In February 2006, the airport completed an investment of £2 million in refurbishing the airport terminal and car parks. The improvements included more check-in desks, new eating facilities, a new information desk, an open-plan departure lounge, more gates, new shopping facilities, an executive lounge, a new flight information system, an additional baggage reclaim belt and a new interior colour scheme and logo.
A new long stay car park was created while the existing area was extended. Later in 2006 the aircraft parking area was extended.
British North West Airlines, the smallest airline based at Blackpool has now, according to its website, stopped trading for both charter and scheduled flights. The website links all viewers to Manx2
Manx2
Manx2 Limited is a virtual commuter airline, with its head office in Hangar 9, Isle of Man Airport in Ballasalla, Malew, Isle of Man. It sells flights and services from several airports in the UK with bases in Belfast City, Blackpool, Cardiff and Isle of Man...
, which is now flying the route up to four times a day. Manx2 has brought low fares to the Isle of Man route, and passenger numbers on this route doubled in January 2007.
With the growth of the airport, a new carrier, the ACMI company
Wet lease
Aircraft leases are a number of types of leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons; to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity...
, Jetstream Executive, operating under the name, Jetstream Express
Jetstream Express
Jetstream Express is a former British airline based at Blackpool International Airport.Jetstream Express was operated by Jetstream Executive Travel Limited...
, introduced flights in 2007 from the airport to Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
from (May), Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen Airport is an international airport, located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 2.76 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2010, a reduction of 7.4% compared with 2009, making it the 15th busiest airport in the UK...
(from June) and Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport is the 20th largest airport in the UK, located north north-east of Southampton, in the Borough of Eastleigh within Hampshire, England....
(from July). The Belfast route was in competition with Jet2.com, who operate twice daily between Blackpool and Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
. Two Jetstream 31s were based at the airport. However, in June 2007 a notice appeared on the Jetsteam Express website stating - "With immediate effect, Jetstream Express have ceased operating the routes to Blackpool, Aberdeen, Southampton and Belfast", adding that all flights were withdrawn as the routes have not proved viable.
In 2007 Jet2 cancelled its Prague and Amsterdam services. Ryanair also cancelled its twice daily flights to London Stansted stating that it fell into the bottom three routes across its network.
On 6 May 2008, Balfour Beatty bought a 95% stake in the airport for £14million. The construction company also owns Exeter Airport
Exeter International Airport
Exeter International Airport is an airport located at Clyst Honiton in the District of East Devon close to the city of Exeter and within the county of Devon, South West England....
. The company stated that one of their top priorities is to re-establish a link to London, which Blackpool lost in 2007 when Ryanair discontinued its Stansted route.
On 18 July 2008, the Blackpool Gazette
Blackpool Gazette
The Blackpool Gazette is an English evening newspaper based in Blackpool, Lancashire. Published every day except Sunday, it covers the towns and communities of the Fylde coast...
announced that Jet2 planned to suspend its daily service from Blackpool to Belfast International for the winter. A dip in passenger numbers and the rising price of oil has taken its toll on the service. According to the newspaper, Jet2 will restart the daily Belfast service from March 2009.
In the summer of 2008 Ryanair announced a large cut in capacity at a number of airports, including Stansted, from October 2008 to March 2009, although Blackpool was not affected by these cuts. However, on 25 November 2008 Ryanair announced the intention to withdraw all flights from 5 January 2009 following the airport's introduction of a £10 per person Airport Development Fee.
After the £10 Airport Development Fee was introduced, a new airline was sought to replace Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
on its very popular route to Dublin
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
. Aer Arann
Aer Arann
Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline...
were their successors and commenced operations shortly after. The short hop over the Irish Sea is operated daily by an ATR 72
ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...
turboprop aircraft and has the possibility of catching a connecting flight to New York directly from Dublin. The airline has since merged with Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
and now operates under the titles of Aer Lingus Regional.
During 2011 the airport has undergone a few changes on the airfield itself. Runway 07/25 has been closed as an active runway and has now been opened as Taxiway C running the full length of the old runway. Therefore the old Taxiway C has been closed and the northern part of it (between Runway 10/28 and the old Runway 07/25) has been opened as an extension of Taxiway E. Another notable change has been the relocation of the airport's Fire Services. They have been moved from their position north of the fuel farm to a more central position in between the terminal and some of the flying clubs on the Taxiway B ramp.
Airlines and destinations
Traffic Statistics
| Number of Passengers | Aircraft Movements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 80,501 | 71,788 | |
| 2002 | 70,385 | 68,786 | |
| 2003 | 186,740 | 75,371 | |
| 2004 | 266,179 | 76,314 | |
| 2005 | 377,073 | 76,779 | |
| 2006 | 552,724 | 65,990 | |
| 2007 | 558,278 | 58,824 | |
| 2008 | 439,200 | 54,249 | |
| 2009 | 276,866 | 52,575 | |
| 2010 | 235,340 | 50,905 | |
| Source: CAA Official Statistics | |||
| Rank | Airport | Passengers Handled |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  AlicanteAlicante Airport Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty... |
41,215 |
| 2 |  Faro AirportFaro Airport -Incidents and accidents:*On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 skidded off the runway in bad weather at Faro Airport killing 54 passengers and two crew out of a total of 340 people on board.... |
29,910 |
| 3 | Malaga Málaga Airport Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol.... |
25,276 |
| 4 |  BelfastBelfast International Airport Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with... |
24,537 |
| 5 | Palma Palma de Mallorca Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport is an airport located east of Palma, Majorca, adjacent to the village of Can Pastilla. Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeroport de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid's Barajas Airport and Barcelona Airport... |
24,224 |
| 6 |  Isle of ManIsle of Man Airport Isle of Man Airport , also known as Ronaldsway Airport and, in Manx, Purt Aer Vannin, is the main civilian airport on the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the island at Ronaldsway near Castletown, southwest of Douglas, the island's capital. Along with the Isle of Man Sea Terminal, it is... |
23,795 |
| 7 | Dublin Dublin Airport Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon... |
22,009 |
| 8 | Belfast George Best Belfast City Airport George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility... |
15,232 |
| 9 | Murcia Murcia-San Javier Airport Murcia-San Javier Airport is a military air base and civilian passenger airport located in San Javier, south of Murcia, Spain. It is operated by Aena , the Spanish airport authority.-Operations:The airport can receive aircraft up to the size of Boeing 757 or 767... |
14,490 |
| 10 |  JerseyJersey Airport -Busiest routes:Some airlines offer services between Jersey and other destinations with an intermediate stop at Guernsey. There are also periodic charter flights to European holiday destinations, Madeira and ski destinations operated by airlines such as Aurigny Air Services, Europe Airpost, Palmair... |
7,998 |
Accidents and incidents
On 27 August 1941 two aircraft, a RAFRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Blackburn Botha
Blackburn Botha
-See also:-External links:*...
trainer and a Boulton Paul Defiant
Boulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
fighter, serials L6509 and N1745 respectively, collided in midair over the sea, just off Blackpool's central seafront. The debris from the collision was strewn over a large area but a large part of it struck the then Blackpool Central railway station
Blackpool Central railway station
Blackpool Central was the largest railway station in the town of Blackpool in the county of Lancashire, England. When it closed in 1964, it became the station with the highest number of platforms ever to close, comprising 14 platforms...
causing severe damage and killing 12 people. Both aircraft had taken off from Blackpool Airport.
On 29 June 1972 a HFB-320 Hansa Jet
HFB-320 Hansa Jet
|-See also:-References:*Sloot, Emiel. "Hansa Jet Retirement". Air International, October 1994, Vol 47 No 4. pp. 234–235. ISSN 0306-5634.*Taylor, John W. R.. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965....
, registration D-CASY crashed on take-off. The pilot attempted to abort the take-off but over shot the end of the runway, crossed some grass land to the airport boundary. The aircraft then crossed over railway lines and continued into a holiday camp immediately bordering the airport, demolishing six chalets, damaging several others and finally catching fire. 2 crew members and 5 of the 6 passengers were killed. Nobody in the holiday camp was hurt.
On 27 September 1982, Douglas C-47 G-AKNB of Harvest Air was damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Blackpool Airport.
On 27 December 2006 a Eurocopter AS365N
Eurocopter Dauphin
The Eurocopter SA 365/AS365 Dauphin 2 is a medium-weight multipurpose twin-engine helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter .-Design and development:...
, registration G-BLUN
2006 Morecambe Bay helicopter crash
The 2006 Morecambe Bay Helicopter Crash was a fatal air incident that occurred on 27 December 2006 at approximately 18:40 GMT, whilst replacement crew were being transported between the Millom and Morecambe gas platforms situated approximately 24 miles from the shoreline of Morecambe Bay,...
, crashed into the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
, 24 miles offshore because of pilot error. There were 7 persons onboard the helicopter, 5 passengers and 2 crew members. There have been 6 bodies recovered and the 7th body is still reported to be missing. The helicopter was based at Blackpool Airport and the flight had also originated from the Squires Gate base.
On 3 February 2007 a Piper Cherokee
Piper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....
registered G-BBBK was approaching the airport when it crashed on to the beach on the Fylde Coast
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
. The flight had originated from Exeter Airport and was returning to the field following a VFR flight and was arriving in thick fog. The Cherokee missed the turn onto the final approach of Runway 10 and continued several miles North before running out of altitude and ending up on the beach between the Central and Southern piers. Both men were killed in the crash.
Transport
- RailRail transportRail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
- Squires Gate railway stationSquires Gate railway stationSquires Gate railway station is on the Blackpool South to Preston branch line, in Lancashire, England. It is the nearest station to Blackpool International Airport...
. Direct Northern RailNorthern RailNorthern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
PacerBritish Rail Class 142The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. 96 units were built by BREL in Derby between 1985 and 1987. They were a development of the earlier Class 141 which were introduced in 1984....
and Sprinter trains to Blackpool SouthBlackpool South railway stationBlackpool South railway station is a single platform stop at the end of the Fylde coast branch line from Kirkham, in Lancashire, England. It is unmanned and has an hourly service daily, except winter Sundays....
, PrestonPreston railway stationPreston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
and ColneColne railway stationColne railway station serves the Lancashire mill town of Colne which is situated close to Pendle Hill. The station, which is managed by Northern Rail, is the terminus of the East Lancashire Line. Trains from Blackpool South run through Preston and Blackburn to Burnley and Colne.Currently the...
(East Lancashire). - BusBusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
- Blackpool TransportBlackpool TransportBlackpool Transport Services is a bus and tram operator running within the boroughs of Blackpool and Fylde and into the surrounding area, including Fleetwood, Lytham St Annes, Poulton le Fylde and Kirkham, Preston...
bus services 7, 11 and StagecoachStagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
services 68 and X61 stop near the airport with routes to Blackpool town centre and CleveleysCleveleysCleveleys is a town on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire, England, about 4 miles north of Blackpool and 2 miles south of Fleetwood...
(northbound) and Lytham St AnnesLytham St AnnesLytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Anne's-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort...
, Preston and ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
(southbound). - TramTramA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
- Blackpool Transport tram services are available from Starr GateStarr GateStarr Gate is in the South Shore district of Blackpool in the county of Lancashire, England. It is located at the south-western end of Blackpool on the Fylde coast and is adjacent to the Squires Gate district of Blackpool....
terminus on the Blackpool tramwayBlackpool tramwayThe Blackpool tramway runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England, and is the only surviving first-generation tramway in the United Kingdom. The tramway dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is run by Blackpool Transport as...
, running along the promenade, along the Golden MileGolden Mile (Blackpool)The Golden Mile is the name given to the stretch of Promenade between the North and South piers in Blackpool, England...
northward to BisphamBispham, BlackpoolBispham is a village roughly one-and-a-half miles north of Blackpool town centre on the Fylde coast in the county of Lancashire, England.-Geography and administration:...
, Cleveleys and FleetwoodFleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
. - TaxiTaxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s - free telephone located inside the terminal building.