Norwich International Airport
Encyclopedia
Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich
within Norfolk
, England 2.8 NM north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs.
Along with a long history of flights to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol via KLM Cityhopper
(formerly KLM UK
), it offers flights to various destinations in the United Kingdom and Europe. Besides the commercial flights, charter operators also operate out of Norwich. Bristow Helicopters
flies crews to North Sea
gas rigs and Skydrift Air Charter, Sterling
Helicopters and SaxonAir Charter
operate executive, private aircraft and helicopter
charter flights. Aerial photography company Sky-Art.co.uk also operates from Norwich.
Norwich Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P723) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
On Sunday and public holidays First Buses operate service 27 directly outside the terminal building to Norwich city centre via Anglia square. Although airport Park and Ride bus services run nearby the airport they do not stop directly outside the airport, but are in easy walking distance of the airport.
Future Road Links:
There are plans for the Norwich Northern Distributor road to link the airport to the A47, stopping people using the congested ring road, and providing faster and better connections to other parts of the county and country.
on the other side of the city.
As of 2010 Norwich airport is 28th busiest airport in the UK
.
under what is now the Heartsease housing estate
. This fell into disuse in the early part of the Second World War.
In September 1942 Horsham St. Faith was made available to the United States Army Air Forces
for use by the Eighth Air Force
. The USAAF designated the airfield as Station 123 (HF).
The airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command
on 10 July 1945 when it was occupied by four Gloster Meteor
Squadrons. RAF Horsham St. Faith was a front-line RAF station for many years, and its squadrons participated in many post-war exercises. The station was deactivated on 1 August 1963.
left Horsham on 24 March 1967. Over the following two years the major part of the airfield and buildings were sold to Norwich City and Norfolk County Council, a small part being retained by the Ministry of Defence
(MoD). Norwich Airport Ltd under ownership of the County and City Councils developed the modern day Norwich International Airport.
Most of the World War II buildings used by the United States Army Air Force remain, although converted for a variety of purposes. Three of the five large pre-war hangar
s are still being used for aircraft maintenance. Two have been converted for commercial use. The control tower
still exists although the top has been restored and a new tower has been built adjacent to the present main runway. Other wartime buildings now form part of the airport industrial estate (owned by the County and City Councils) and are intermingled with many newer structures.
The former RAF accommodation blocks situated towards Old Catton
were until 1993 used by the University of East Anglia
as accommodation for students, known to students as "Fifers Lane" halls these have since been demolished and the site redeveloped as housing. The remaining MoD property, formerly enlisted men's quarters, has become married quarters for nearby RAF stations.
Whilst most runways and taxi-tracks from the military airfield remain, only one runway is primarily used, east–west runway 09/27, which was extended eastwards by the RAF in 1956, to avoid takeoffs and landings over built-up areas. The old 04/22 runway is no longer used for takeoffs or landings, but is used for parking and taxiing of larger aircraft.
Adjacent to the airport terminal
building opened in 1988 there is a memorial display relating to the USAAF, consisting of photographs, paintings, and a plaque commemorating the American use of the airfield.
In March 2004, the City and County Councils sold 80.1% of Norwich Airport Ltd to Omniport whilst retaining the further 19.9%. Omniport has also acquired 100% of Norwich Airport Travel Ltd. Since the sale to Omniport the airport has become one of the UK hubs
for budget carrier
Flybe and the number of flights and destinations served have rapidly increased. In 2005 a £3.5M terminal expansion programme began.
It was announced in April 2008 that Flybe was to reduce routes and frequencies from Norwich Airport. Glasgow
was axed by May and Paris-Charles de Gaulle
was being merged into a Norwich-Jersey
-Charles de Gaulle service, making it an indirect service. Guernsey
is having its frequency dropped to one Saturday flight.
On 5 July 2008, LTE International Airways
started scheduled flights to Alicante
, Barcelona
and Palma de Mallorca
for the summer 2008 season and in addition to these routes from winter 2008/2009 they had announced new routes to Malaga
, Tenerife
and Gran Canaria, however due to financial difficulties with the airline, LTE services (including all from Norwich) are suspended until further notice.
During filming of the BBC show Top Gear, operations from the airport appeared disrupted when a caravan, adapted into an airship and flown by James May
, drifted overhead the airport, infringing its controlled airspace. In reality, the event occurred after much pre-planning with the airport authorities and the BBC, and scenes showing the airship in the airfield boundary were actually filmed after the blimp had lifted from the airfield to satisfy the requirements of the film crew.
the flights. Plane Stupid
asked why airports require minimum passenger levels in the first place.
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
within Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England 2.8 NM north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs.
Along with a long history of flights to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol via KLM Cityhopper
KLM Cityhopper
KLM Cityhopper is the regional subsidiary of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines . The airline, with its head office, the Convair Building, on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Schiphol-Oost, Haarlemmermeer, operates short haul services in and around Europe...
(formerly KLM UK
KLM UK
KLM UK was the brand name of a British airline subsidiary of KLM, which operated services within the UK and between the UK and the Netherlands using ATR-72, Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 aircraft...
), it offers flights to various destinations in the United Kingdom and Europe. Besides the commercial flights, charter operators also operate out of Norwich. Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters is a British helicopter airline originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, part of the Bristow Group based in Houston, Texas, USA....
flies crews to North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
gas rigs and Skydrift Air Charter, Sterling
Sterling
Sterling may refer to:* Sterling silver, a grade of silver* Pound sterling, the currency of the United Kingdom- Businesses :* Hotel Sterling, a former hotel in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States* Sterling Airlines...
Helicopters and SaxonAir Charter
SaxonAir
SaxonAir Charter Limited is a British-based private charter airline based in Norwich, England. Based at Norwich International Airport the airline operates charters in the United Kingdom and Western Europe.- History :...
operate executive, private aircraft and helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
charter flights. Aerial photography company Sky-Art.co.uk also operates from Norwich.
Norwich Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P723) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
Bus
Norse Operates a Park and Ride service a 2 minute walk from the airport direct to Norwich city centre on Monday – Saturday every 10 – 15 minutes.On Sunday and public holidays First Buses operate service 27 directly outside the terminal building to Norwich city centre via Anglia square. Although airport Park and Ride bus services run nearby the airport they do not stop directly outside the airport, but are in easy walking distance of the airport.
Road
Norwich airport is situated on the A140, which travels from Ipswich via Norwich to the seaside town of Cromer; this also provides easy road access to Norwich city centre.Future Road Links:
There are plans for the Norwich Northern Distributor road to link the airport to the A47, stopping people using the congested ring road, and providing faster and better connections to other parts of the county and country.
Rail
Norwich airport does not have a railway station; the nearest railway station is Norwich Railway StationNorwich railway station
Norwich is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street. It is also the terminus of railway lines from Ely, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.-History:At one...
on the other side of the city.
Facilities
The airport has one runway (designated 09/27), 1841 m (6,040 ft) in length. A smaller 1285 m (4,216 ft) runway (designated 04/22) was closed in 2006, and is now used as a taxiway. The airport has nine parking stands for commercial aircraft.Airlines and destinations
Based operators
- Bond Helicopters
- Bristow HelicoptersBristow HelicoptersBristow Helicopters is a British helicopter airline originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, part of the Bristow Group based in Houston, Texas, USA....
- Centerline Aerospace
- CHC Helicopters
- KLM
- Eastern AirwaysEastern AirwaysEastern Airways is an airline with its head office at Humberside Airport in Kirmington, North Lincolnshire, England. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and private charter services...
- FlybeFlybeFlybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...
- NHV
- SaxonAir Charter & SaxonAir Flight SupportSaxonAirSaxonAir Charter Limited is a British-based private charter airline based in Norwich, England. Based at Norwich International Airport the airline operates charters in the United Kingdom and Western Europe.- History :...
- East Anglian Air AmbulanceEast Anglian Air AmbulanceThe East Anglian Air Ambulance is an air ambulance which covers Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. The service was launched in the summer of 2000 by jockey Frankie Dettori. The service now operates 365 days a year utilising two helicopters, covering over and a population of...
- Norfolk Constabulary Air Operations UnitNorfolk ConstabularyNorfolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the county of Norfolk in England. As of March 2009 the force had a strength of 1,668 police officers, 243 Special Constables, 277 PCSOs and just over 1,300 police staff.-History:...
- Skydrift Air Charter
Statistics
| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | % Change 2008 / 09 |
Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Netherlands – Amsterdam |
120,914 | 13 | KLM Cityhopper |
| 2 | – 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... |
60,852 | 7 | BMI Regional, Eastern Airways |
| 3 | – 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... |
50,365 | 14 | Flybe |
| 4 | – Manchester | 34,438 | 20 | Flybe |
| 5 |  Spain – Palma de Mallorca |
14,102 | 45 | Thomas Cook, Thomson |
| 6 |  Greece – Corfu |
10,976 | 21 | Thomson |
| 7 | – 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.... |
8,992 | 17 | |
| 8 | Spain – Mahon |
8,679 | 4 | Thomson |
| 9 |  Turkey – DalamanDalaman Airport - Traffic Statistics :Source: DHMI.gov.tr... |
8,267 | 18 | Thomas Cook, Thomson |
| 10 |  Malta – Malta |
7,777 | 30% | Air Malta |
| Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority The Civil Aviation Authority is the public corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA head office is located in the CAA House on Kingsway in Holborn, London Borough of Camden... http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=80&pagetype=88&pageid=3&sglid=3 |
||||
As of 2010 Norwich airport is 28th busiest airport 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...
.
History
The first Norwich airport was set up on a former First World War aerodrome on Mousehold HeathMousehold Heath
Mousehold Heath is an area of heathland and woodland which lies in north east Norwich, England and a designated Local Nature Reserve . It is now mostly covered by broad-leaf semi-natural woodland, although some areas of heath remain and are actively managed....
under what is now the Heartsease housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
. This fell into disuse in the early part of the Second World War.
RAF Horsham St Faith
The current site, formerly known as Royal Air Force Station Horsham St Faith, or more commonly RAF Horsham St Faith, was first developed in 1939 and officially opened on 1 June 1940 as a bomber station.In September 1942 Horsham St. Faith was made available to the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
for use by the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
. The USAAF designated the airfield as Station 123 (HF).
The airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
on 10 July 1945 when it was occupied by four Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
Squadrons. RAF Horsham St. Faith was a front-line RAF station for many years, and its squadrons participated in many post-war exercises. The station was deactivated on 1 August 1963.
Civil airport
The Royal Air ForceRoyal 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...
left Horsham on 24 March 1967. Over the following two years the major part of the airfield and buildings were sold to Norwich City and Norfolk County Council, a small part being retained by the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
(MoD). Norwich Airport Ltd under ownership of the County and City Councils developed the modern day Norwich International Airport.
Most of the World War II buildings used by the United States Army Air Force remain, although converted for a variety of purposes. Three of the five large pre-war 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...
s are still being used for aircraft maintenance. Two have been converted for commercial use. The 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...
still exists although the top has been restored and a new tower has been built adjacent to the present main runway. Other wartime buildings now form part of the airport industrial estate (owned by the County and City Councils) and are intermingled with many newer structures.
The former RAF accommodation blocks situated towards Old Catton
Old Catton
Old Catton is a suburban village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk which lies to the north-east of central Norwich. The parish is bounded by the Norwich International Airport at Hellesdon to the west and Sprowston to the east...
were until 1993 used by the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
as accommodation for students, known to students as "Fifers Lane" halls these have since been demolished and the site redeveloped as housing. The remaining MoD property, formerly enlisted men's quarters, has become married quarters for nearby RAF stations.
Whilst most runways and taxi-tracks from the military airfield remain, only one runway is primarily used, east–west runway 09/27, which was extended eastwards by the RAF in 1956, to avoid takeoffs and landings over built-up areas. The old 04/22 runway is no longer used for takeoffs or landings, but is used for parking and taxiing of larger aircraft.
Adjacent to the airport terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
building opened in 1988 there is a memorial display relating to the USAAF, consisting of photographs, paintings, and a plaque commemorating the American use of the airfield.
In March 2004, the City and County Councils sold 80.1% of Norwich Airport Ltd to Omniport whilst retaining the further 19.9%. Omniport has also acquired 100% of Norwich Airport Travel Ltd. Since the sale to Omniport the airport has become one of the UK hubs
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
for budget carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
Flybe and the number of flights and destinations served have rapidly increased. In 2005 a £3.5M terminal expansion programme began.
It was announced in April 2008 that Flybe was to reduce routes and frequencies from Norwich Airport. Glasgow
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...
was axed by May and Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle International Airport
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport , also known as Roissy Airport , in the Paris area, is one of the world's principal aviation centres, as well as France's largest airport. It is named after Charles de Gaulle , leader of the Free French Forces and founder of the French Fifth Republic...
was being merged into a Norwich-Jersey
Jersey 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...
-Charles de Gaulle service, making it an indirect service. Guernsey
Guernsey Airport
Guernsey Airport is the largest airport in the Bailiwick of Guernsey and is the only airport on the island of Guernsey. It is located in the Forest, a parish in Guernsey, west southwest of St. Peter Port.-History:...
is having its frequency dropped to one Saturday flight.
On 5 July 2008, LTE International Airways
LTE International Airways
Lte International Airways S.A. was a charter airline based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. It operated passenger charter services throughout Europe. Its main base was Son Sant Joan Airport, Palma de Mallorca with hubs at Reina Sofía Airport, Tenerife, Gran Canaria International Airport, Lanzarote...
started scheduled flights to 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...
, Barcelona
Barcelona International Airport
Barcelona El Prat Airport , simply known as Barcelona Airport, is located southwest of the center of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, lying in the municipalities of El Prat de Llobregat, Viladecans and Sant Boi.The airport is the second largest in Spain behind Madrid Barajas Airport and the...
and 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...
for the summer 2008 season and in addition to these routes from winter 2008/2009 they had announced new routes 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....
, Tenerife
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...
and Gran Canaria, however due to financial difficulties with the airline, LTE services (including all from Norwich) are suspended until further notice.
During filming of the BBC show Top Gear, operations from the airport appeared disrupted when a caravan, adapted into an airship and flown by James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
, drifted overhead the airport, infringing its controlled airspace. In reality, the event occurred after much pre-planning with the airport authorities and the BBC, and scenes showing the airship in the airfield boundary were actually filmed after the blimp had lifted from the airfield to satisfy the requirements of the film crew.
Advertising for 'fake' passengers
During 2008 Flybe advertised for actors to fly for free to Dublin from the airport to avoid a £280,000 fine. It was projected to be 172 passengers short of the required minimum 15,000 passengers and advertised 200 free flights to make up the numbers. They said they would carbon offsetCarbon offset
A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere....
the flights. Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid is a UK-focused group of environmental protesters who state their aim as wanting to see an end to airport expansion for what it sees as "unnecessary and unsustainable" flights. The organisation has no formal hierarchy, leader, or media figurehead. It is a loose association of...
asked why airports require minimum passenger levels in the first place.