Newcastle Airport
Encyclopedia
Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington
in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne
, England
, 5 NM north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport
in the United Kingdom
.
The airport is owned by seven local authorities (51%) and Copenhagen Airport
(49%). The seven local authorities are: Durham County Council
, Gateshead MBC, City of Newcastle
, North Tyneside MBC
, Northumberland County Council
, South Tyneside MBC
and City of Sunderland
.
Newcastle Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P725) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
, Sir Phillip Cunliffe-Lister
. Incorporating a clubhouse, hangar
, workshops, fuel garage and grass runway
, at the time it cost £35,000 to build.
Although during World War II
the main airport in the region was located at Cramlington
in Northumberland
, following the war a decision was taken to concentrate development on the present airport site. Accordingly, in the early 1950s, ex-RAF
fighter pilot Jim Denyer was appointed as Airport Manager and within a few years over 5,000 people were using the Airport each year to travel to destinations such as Jersey
and the Isle of Wight
.
The 1960s saw tremendous growth in passenger numbers at the Airport. This was mainly due to British
people taking foreign holidays to places such as Spain
instead of holidaying within the UK. A new runway was built, along with an apron
and a new air traffic control
tower. These new additions were opened by the then-Prime Minister
, Harold Wilson
.
In the 1970s, with passenger figures approaching one million per year, the Airport status was changed to Category B, making it a regional international airport. The 1980s saw further investment in check-in
, catering
and duty-free shop
s. In 1991, Airport Metro station opened, connecting the airport with Newcastle
and later in 2002 Sunderland city centres using the Tyne and Wear Metro
system. A new £27 million extension was opened in 2000 by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
and the first low-cost airline
arrived at the airport, with Go
inaugurating a service to London Stansted
following the collapse of locally based Gill Airways
. 2001 saw the acquisition of a 49% stake in the Airport by Copenhagen Airports.
In August 2004 an extended and refurbished Departure Terminal was opened. The refurbishment comprised a 3,000 square metre extension which included new shops, cafes and 1,200 new waiting seats.
Newcastle was the first regional airport in the UK to install common-use self-service kiosks in the terminal, allowing passengers to check-in
themselves without the need to queue at a conventional desk . In 2006 a record 5.4 million passengers used the Airport, according to Civil Aviation Authority figures. Passenger figures were expected to approach seven million by 2009 , although due to the financial crisis of 2007–2010 and subsequent recession, the actual figure fell short of that number by around 2.5 million.
Rapid expansion in passenger traffic has led to increasing commercial utilisation of the south-side of the airport, which was previously used for general aviation
, and is now used for freight, mail and corporate flights. This is partially due to difficulties obtaining departure and arrival slots for light aircraft
traffic, which need to be separated from larger aircraft to protect against wake turbulence
. As part of the Airport Master Plan, the south-side area is to be expanded with maintenance facilities including new hangar
and apron areas. The Newcastle Aviation Academy
is also located within this area.
to replace the current short-stay parking, a new 187-bedroom on-site hotel and the expansion of the freight
facilities on the south side of the airport. Feasibility studies
are being carried out to evaluate the longer-term proposals that include:
In October 2007 a new Air Traffic Control Tower
was completed at a cost of £8.2 million, situated on the north side of the airfield.
The now christened ' Emirates Tower ' was designed by REID architects, and bears resemblance to the control tower they designed for Edinburgh Airport
. In the process the Newcastle VHF omnidirectional range
beacon was permanently withdrawn from service, since the new tower would have interfered with its operation.
Plans were recently announced for a new office development south of the main airport runway. The 3 story scheme should create around 170 new jobs. The airport hopes to expand annual passenger capacity to 10 million (double current capacity) by 2016 and to 15 million by 2030 .
It is expected that £70 million will be invested in the airport during the current Master Plan period, which runs from 2006 to 2016. The airport also recently finished extending its remote parking for aircraft, resulting in an extra 5 parking stands that can accommodate 5 medium-sized aircraft (Boeing 737
or Airbus A320
size), or 4 large aircraft (Boeing 767
or Airbus A330
size) plus 2 smaller aircraft (such as the BAe Jetstream 41).
, Tyneside
and Wearside
. The airport competes with the smaller Durham Tees Valley Airport
for passengers travelling from and to County Durham
and Teesside
. Passengers from Cumbria
, North Yorkshire
and southern Scotland
also use the airport, the nearest similar sized airport being Leeds Bradford Airport to the south and the larger Edinburgh
and Glasgow International
airports to the north. In terms of passenger numbers, Newcastle is the third largest airport in the North of England, Manchester Airport being the largest and Liverpool Airport following.
existed, its head office was in the New Aviation House, on the airport property.
is directly connected to the terminal through an indoor walkway. The station is the northern terminus of the green line with frequent, direct services to Newcastle upon Tyne
(22 mins) and Sunderland (55 mins) city centres.
by the A696 dual carriageway
. A regular bus service (3) also runs from the airport to Newcastle (Kingston Park) and South East Northumberland
. A half-hourly service (X77 / X78 / X79) links the Airport to the nearby villages of Ponteland
and Darras Hall
, as well as Newcastle City Centre. Services X77/X78/X79 are Monday to Saturday daytime services only, with the last journeys being made at around 18:00 hours. Service 74A operates a limited service to the City Centre at other times.
at the Airport are Swissport
UK (previously Groundstar) who provide services for eighteen of the above 26 airlines and Servisair
, their cargo division has a significant operation at Newcastle. Servisair have recently brought a new operation to Newcastle (14 February 2011); SmartHandling by Servisair, which is limited to providing services to Easyjet.
There are two hotels on the Airport site, the Britannia
Airport Hotel and a Premier Inn, with another Premier Inn located at Callerton, near the general aviation
terminal. The construction of a new 187-bedroom, 4-star hotel began in June 2007 and is due to open Winter 2010
Woolsington
Woolsington is a village and civil parish in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne within Tyne and Wear, England. It is north-west of the city centre, and covers a large geographical area; and is one of the city's 26 electoral wards. The parish also includes Newbiggin Hall, Woolsington village and...
in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 5 NM north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport
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...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The airport is owned by seven local authorities (51%) and Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport is the main international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark and the Oresund Region. It is located on the island of Amager, south of Copenhagen city centre, and west of Malmö city centre on the other side of the Oresund Bridge. The airport lies mainly in the municipality...
(49%). The seven local authorities are: Durham County Council
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, Gateshead MBC, City of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, North Tyneside MBC
North Tyneside
The Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England and is part of the Tyneside conurbation. Its seat is Wallsend Town Hall....
, Northumberland County Council
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, South Tyneside MBC
South Tyneside
South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England.It is bordered by four other boroughs - Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, and North Tyneside to the north. The border county of Northumberland lies further north...
and City of Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
.
Newcastle Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P725) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
History
The Airport was opened on 26 July 1935 by the Secretary of State for AirSecretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
, Sir Phillip Cunliffe-Lister
Philip Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Earl of Swinton
Philip Cunliffe-Lister, 1st Earl of Swinton GBE, CH, MC, PC , known as Philip Lloyd-Greame until 1924 and as The Viscount Swinton from 1935 until 1955, was a prominent British Conservative politician from the 1920s until the 1950s.-Background and early life:Born as Philip Lloyd-Graeme, he was the...
. Incorporating a clubhouse, hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
, workshops, fuel garage and grass runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
, at the time it cost £35,000 to build.
Although 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...
the main airport in the region was located at Cramlington
Cramlington
Cramlington is a town and civil parish in the county of Northumberland, North East England, situated north of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The town's name suggests a probable founding by the Danes or an Anglo-Saxon origin, the word "ton" meaning town. The population was estimated as 39,000 in...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, following the war a decision was taken to concentrate development on the present airport site. Accordingly, in the early 1950s, ex-RAF
Royal 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...
fighter pilot Jim Denyer was appointed as Airport Manager and within a few years over 5,000 people were using the Airport each year to travel to destinations such as Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
and the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
.
The 1960s saw tremendous growth in passenger numbers at the Airport. This was mainly due to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
people taking foreign holidays to places such as Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
instead of holidaying within the UK. A new runway was built, along with an apron
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
and a new air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
tower. These new additions were opened by the then-Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
.
In the 1970s, with passenger figures approaching one million per year, the Airport status was changed to Category B, making it a regional international airport. The 1980s saw further investment in check-in
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
, catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
and duty-free shop
Duty-free shop
Duty-free shops are retail outlets that are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country...
s. In 1991, Airport Metro station opened, connecting the airport with Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and later in 2002 Sunderland city centres using the Tyne and Wear Metro
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
system. A new £27 million extension was opened in 2000 by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and the first low-cost airline
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
arrived at the airport, with Go
Go Fly
Go Fly was the name of an award-winning British airline. It was purchased by EasyJet.-History:Bob Ayling, ex-chief of British Airways, approached EasyJet's founder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, to ask whether he could visit claiming that he was fascinated by how the Greek entrepreneur had made the budget...
inaugurating a service to London Stansted
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
following the collapse of locally based Gill Airways
Gill Airways
Gill Airways was a regional airline with its head office in New Aviation House on the grounds of Newcastle Airport in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, United Kingdom....
. 2001 saw the acquisition of a 49% stake in the Airport by Copenhagen Airports.
In August 2004 an extended and refurbished Departure Terminal was opened. The refurbishment comprised a 3,000 square metre extension which included new shops, cafes and 1,200 new waiting seats.
Newcastle was the first regional airport in the UK to install common-use self-service kiosks in the terminal, allowing passengers to check-in
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
themselves without the need to queue at a conventional desk . In 2006 a record 5.4 million passengers used the Airport, according to Civil Aviation Authority figures. Passenger figures were expected to approach seven million by 2009 , although due to the financial crisis of 2007–2010 and subsequent recession, the actual figure fell short of that number by around 2.5 million.
Rapid expansion in passenger traffic has led to increasing commercial utilisation of the south-side of the airport, which was previously used for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, and is now used for freight, mail and corporate flights. This is partially due to difficulties obtaining departure and arrival slots for light aircraft
Light aircraft
A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross take-off weight of or less.Many aircraft used commercially for freight, sightseeing, photography and scheduled flights are light aircraft.Examples of light aircraft include:...
traffic, which need to be separated from larger aircraft to protect against wake turbulence
Wake turbulence
Wake turbulence is turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air. This turbulence includes various components, the most important of which are wing vorticies and jetwash. Jetwash refers simply to the rapidly moving gases expelled from a jet engine; it is extremely turbulent,...
. As part of the Airport Master Plan, the south-side area is to be expanded with maintenance facilities including new hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
and apron areas. The Newcastle Aviation Academy
Newcastle Aviation Academy
Newcastle Aviation Academy is an off-site university campus located at Newcastle International Airport. It was officially opened in March 2004 by Alan Johnson MP...
is also located within this area.
Future plans
The Airport recently published a Master Plan that sets out development proposals for the airport until 2016. In the near term, these include building a multi-storey car parkMulti-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
to replace the current short-stay parking, a new 187-bedroom on-site hotel and the expansion of the freight
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
facilities on the south side of the airport. Feasibility studies
Feasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
are being carried out to evaluate the longer-term proposals that include:
- extending the runway at its eastmost end;
- converting the junctionJunction (road)A road junction is a location where vehicular traffic going in different directions can proceed in a controlled manner designed to minimize accidents. In some cases, vehicles can change between different routes or directions of travel.-Origins:...
with the A696 into a grade-separatedGrade separationGrade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
junction to cater for the expected increase in traffic levels; and - the building of a heavy rail link to connect the airport with the National RailNational RailNational Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
network.
In October 2007 a new Air Traffic Control Tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
was completed at a cost of £8.2 million, situated on the north side of the airfield.
The now christened ' Emirates Tower ' was designed by REID architects, and bears resemblance to the control tower they designed for Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
. In the process the Newcastle VHF omnidirectional range
VHF omnidirectional range
VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code...
beacon was permanently withdrawn from service, since the new tower would have interfered with its operation.
Plans were recently announced for a new office development south of the main airport runway. The 3 story scheme should create around 170 new jobs. The airport hopes to expand annual passenger capacity to 10 million (double current capacity) by 2016 and to 15 million by 2030 .
It is expected that £70 million will be invested in the airport during the current Master Plan period, which runs from 2006 to 2016. The airport also recently finished extending its remote parking for aircraft, resulting in an extra 5 parking stands that can accommodate 5 medium-sized aircraft (Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
or Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
size), or 4 large aircraft (Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
or Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
size) plus 2 smaller aircraft (such as the BAe Jetstream 41).
Area served
The airport mainly serves NorthumberlandNorthumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
and Wearside
Wearside
Wearside is an area of north east England, centred on the continuous urban area formed by Sunderland, Seaham and other settlements by the River Wear. Mackems is a nickname used for the people of Wearside....
. The airport competes with the smaller Durham Tees Valley Airport
Durham Tees Valley Airport
Durham Tees Valley Airport is an international airport in north east England, located southeast of Darlington, about southwest of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. The airport serves County Durham and parts of North Yorkshire, and is in Middleton St George in the borough of Darlington...
for passengers travelling from and to County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and Teesside
Teesside
Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
. Passengers from Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
and southern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
also use the airport, the nearest similar sized airport being Leeds Bradford Airport to the south and the larger Edinburgh
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
and Glasgow International
Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire...
airports to the north. In terms of passenger numbers, Newcastle is the third largest airport in the North of England, Manchester Airport being the largest and Liverpool Airport following.
Airlines and destinations
Cargo
Other facilities
When Gill AirwaysGill Airways
Gill Airways was a regional airline with its head office in New Aviation House on the grounds of Newcastle Airport in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, United Kingdom....
existed, its head office was in the New Aviation House, on the airport property.
Light rail
Airport station on the Tyne and Wear MetroTyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
is directly connected to the terminal through an indoor walkway. The station is the northern terminus of the green line with frequent, direct services to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
(22 mins) and Sunderland (55 mins) city centres.
Road transport
The Airport is connected to the A1 trunk roadTrunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
by the A696 dual carriageway
A696 road
The A696 is a major road in northern England, that runs from Otterburn in Northumberland to Newcastle upon Tyne.-Route:The A696 begins at a junction with the A68 road . It heads in a south-easterly direction through the village of Otterburn, and then past Kirkwhelpington...
. A regular bus service (3) also runs from the airport to Newcastle (Kingston Park) and South East Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. A half-hourly service (X77 / X78 / X79) links the Airport to the nearby villages of Ponteland
Ponteland
Ponteland is a village situated in Northumberland near Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The name means island in the Pont , as the area consisted of a small piece of solid ground around St. Mary's church and the old bridge, surrounded by marshland. This marshland is now drained, with housing built on...
and Darras Hall
Darras Hall
Darras Hall is a housing estate that resides on the suburbs of Ponteland approximately 8 miles to the north of Newcastle Upon Tyne. It is approximately 2 miles away from Newcastle International Airport and is one of the most affluent estates in the North East of England. Some famous current and...
, as well as Newcastle City Centre. Services X77/X78/X79 are Monday to Saturday daytime services only, with the last journeys being made at around 18:00 hours. Service 74A operates a limited service to the City Centre at other times.
Heavy rail
The building of a heavy rail link to connect the airport with the National Rail network is planned (before 2016).Ancillary services
The main handling agentsAircraft ground handling
In aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and parked at a terminal gate of an airport.-Overview:...
at the Airport are Swissport
Swissport
Swissport International Ltd. is a Swiss company headquartered in Glattbrugg, Opfikon, Switzerland. Owned by PAI, Swissport International Ltd. provides ground services for around 100 million passengers and 3.2 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 650 client-companies in the aviation...
UK (previously Groundstar) who provide services for eighteen of the above 26 airlines and Servisair
Servisair
Servisair is an aircraft ground handling company, operating at 175 airports worldwide.It is a subsidiary of Derichebourg. Its head office is in the Servisair House in Runcorn, Cheshire...
, their cargo division has a significant operation at Newcastle. Servisair have recently brought a new operation to Newcastle (14 February 2011); SmartHandling by Servisair, which is limited to providing services to Easyjet.
There are two hotels on the Airport site, the Britannia
Britannia Hotels
Britannia Hotels is a United Kingdom based hotel company with 37 hotels across the country. Britannia operates at the budget end of the market, with hotels varying in price and star ratings around the country...
Airport Hotel and a Premier Inn, with another Premier Inn located at Callerton, near the general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
terminal. The construction of a new 187-bedroom, 4-star hotel began in June 2007 and is due to open Winter 2010
Traffic statistics
The airport saw significant growth in the ten years to 2007, when passenger numbers peaked at 5.65 million, more than double the number handled ten years earlier. Passenger numbers declined in the subsequent three years due to the financial crisis of 2007–2010, with 4.36 million passengers passing through the airport in 2010 (below the 2004 total), although cargo volumes have consistently increased to record levels with a 40.5% annual increase in 2010 alone.EWLINE
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| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | % Change 2008 / 09 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London Heathrow London Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe... |
424,251 | 11 |
| 2 | Belfast International 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... |
172,655 | 10 |
| 3 | Bristol Bristol International Airport Bristol Airport , located at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset, is the commercial airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area. At first it was named Bristol Lulsgate Airport and from March 1997 to March 2010 it was known as Bristol International Airport... |
165,729 | 11 |
| 4 | London Stansted London Stansted Airport -Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures... |
121,134 | 14 |
| 5 | Southampton 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.... |
103,261 | 6 |
| 6 | London Gatwick London Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport... |
97,385 | 12 |
| 7 | Belfast City | 44,985 | 7 |
| 8 | Exeter 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.... |
27,072 | 31 |
| 9 | Aberdeen 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... |
26,446 | 43 |
| 10 | Cardiff | 21,339 | 30 |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | % Change 2009 / 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amsterdam | 243,886 | 3 |
| 2 | Palma de Mallorca 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... |
238,252 | 7 |
| 3 | 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... |
179,342 | 18 |
| 4 | Paris Charles de Gaulle | 166,989 | 7 |
| 5 | Málaga 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.... |
164,114 | 13 |
| 6 | Dubai | 163,064 | 12 |
| 7 | Dalaman Dalaman Airport - Traffic Statistics :Source: DHMI.gov.tr... |
145,898 | 51 |
| 8 | 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... |
144,085 | 14 |
| 9 | 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... |
126,035 | 18 |
| 10 | Faro Faro 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.... |
94,251 | 18 |
| 11 | Sharm el-Sheikh Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport , formerly known as Ophira International Airport, is an international airport located in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt... |
89,976 | 74 |
| 12 | Barcelona | 85,991 | 12 |
| 13 | Murcia | 81,959 | 1 |
| 14 | Lanzarote | 70,585 | 7 |
| 15 | Paphos | 61,498 | 21 |
| 16 | Ibiza Ibiza Airport Ibiza Airport is the airport serving the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Formentera in Spain, used by 95% of all people who arrive at or depart from these two islands... |
54,573 | 25 |
| 17 | Las Palmas | 54,366 | 28 |
| 18 | Bodrum Milas-Bodrum Airport Milas-Bodrum Airport is an international airport that serves the Turkish towns of Bodrum and Milas. The airport is situated 36km northeast of the town of Bodrum, and 16km south of Milas. A spacious new international terminal was completed in 2000.... |
50,990 | 11 |
| 19 | Larnaca | 47,287 | 22 |
| 20 | Corfu | 46,730 | 17 |
Accidents and incidents
- 30 November 2000 - A Piper Aerostar registered N64719 en route to IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
crashed close to Fearnoch, on the north side of Loch TayLoch TayLoch Tay is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the district of Perthshire.It is a long narrow loch of around 14 miles long, and typically around 1 to 1½ miles wide, following the line of the valley from the south west to north east...
in PerthshirePerthshirePerthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, killing the single crewmember. The aircraft had departed from Newcastle Airport. The accident report concluded that the aircraft gradually lost airspeed during an icing encounter, before stalling and the pilot losing control. - 11 February 2004 - A Robinson R22Robinson R22The Robinson R22 is a two-bladed, single-engine light utility helicopter manufactured by Robinson Helicopter. The two-seat R22 was designed in 1973 by Frank Robinson and has been in production since 1979.-Development:...
Beta lost height while in a hover taxi and impacted the ground causing major damage to the aircraft and minor injuries to the pilot and passenger. - 5 August 2008 - A Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe 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...
Tornado GR4A overran the runway making an emergency landing after suffering a bird strike. The crew were uninjured although the aircraft suffered damage. - 25 May 2009 - A Rockwell Commander 112 registered G-FLPI veered off the runway while landing. The nosewheel collapsed, the propeller and fuselage suffered damage, but the pilot was uninjured.