Alderney Airport
Encyclopedia
Alderney Airport is the only airport
on the island of Alderney
. Built in 1935, Alderney Airport was the first airport in the Channel Islands
. Located on the Blaye (1 NM southwest of St Anne
), it is the closest Channel Island airport to the south coast of England
and the coast of France
. Its facilities include a hangar, the Airport Fire Station and low cost, duty-free and tax-free Avgas
refuelling. In 2009 the airport handled 74,835 passengers and 8,284 total movements
, a 3% and 6.1% decrease respectively when compared to the 2008 figures.
s. The main runway, 08/26 is 880 m (2,887 ft) long and is mainly asphalt
. The two secondary runways are both grass. 14/32 being 732 m (2,402 ft) long, with 03/21 having a length of 497 m (1,631 ft). The main runway is equipped with low intensity lighting, with portable lighting being available on runway 14/32. The approach and runway lights were replaced in 2006 by Ian Tugby (States of Alderney
member), a local building contractor.
. Alderney is not a 24-hour airport; during winter, it is open Monday to Saturday from 0740 until 1830 and on Sunday from 0855 until 1830. During summer, it is open Monday - Thursday from 0640 until 1730 and Friday - Sunday from 0640 until 1830.
The airport also has its own Non-directional beacon
, with runways 08 and 26 utilizing this for instrument approaches during Instrument meteorological conditions
. A GPS (satellite) approach is also being developed in conjunction with Eurocontrol and NATS
. This will mean that aircraft can land in lower visibility.
Alderney has self manoeuvring stands. Formal stands are not required due to the lack of space to accommodate nose-in configured aircraft.
, Bournemouth
, Cherbourg, Exeter
, Plymouth
and Jersey
were abandoned over the years due to what Blue Islands
for example claimed was 'lack of interest'. These routes had been operated on and off by Aurigny and Blue Islands
but also Alderney Air Ferries, Air Sarnia and Air Camelot during the 1970s and 1980s.
The number of air routes to the island is at its lowest since the Second World War except for a brief intermission during the 1967-8 period, when another airline (GlosAir, later to be Aurigny Air Services
) was found to fill the void (see below right).
(a nearby disused fort) with the intention of redeveloping it into a hotel and conference centre is proposing to an expansion or total rebuild of the airport terminal, as well as a possible runway extension. The States of Alderney
has put aside £400,000 from the £1m paid for expansion of the airport. This will most likely be used to pay for redevelopment of the terminal, which is over 40 years old and has a leaky flat roof.
. Aurigny has been searching for a successor since the mid-1990s and it is likely that within the next 5 years, the fleet will be retired due to its increasing age (Aurigny aircraft vary from between 35 and nearly 40 years old, except for one aircraft which was assembled from kit form in 1997) and cost. Possible replacements include (in approximate order of size):
, documents a previously unpublicised aspect of the island's history, was published by Amberley Publishing in summer 2010.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
on the island of Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
. Built in 1935, Alderney Airport was the first airport in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. Located on the Blaye (1 NM southwest of St Anne
St Anne, Alderney
St Anne or Saint Anne is the capital and the main town of Alderney in the Channel Islands, located about 10 miles off the coast of Auderville in the Manche department of the Basse-Normandie region of north-western France...
), it is the closest Channel Island airport to the south coast of 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...
and the coast of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Its facilities include a hangar, the Airport Fire Station and low cost, duty-free and tax-free Avgas
Avgas
Avgas is an aviation fuel used to power piston-engine aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas , which is the everyday gasoline used in cars and some non-commercial light aircraft...
refuelling. In 2009 the airport handled 74,835 passengers and 8,284 total movements
, a 3% and 6.1% decrease respectively when compared to the 2008 figures.
Runways
Alderney is unique amongst Channel Islands airports, in having three operational runwayRunway
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...
s. The main runway, 08/26 is 880 m (2,887 ft) long and is mainly asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
. The two secondary runways are both grass. 14/32 being 732 m (2,402 ft) long, with 03/21 having a length of 497 m (1,631 ft). The main runway is equipped with low intensity lighting, with portable lighting being available on runway 14/32. The approach and runway lights were replaced in 2006 by Ian Tugby (States of Alderney
States of Alderney
The States of Alderney is the parliament/council and the legislature of Alderney, part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The origin of the States is unknown, but has operated from the mediaeval period...
member), a local building contractor.
Operations
The terminal building, erected in 1968, contains an arrivals room and a departure lounge, with a check-in desk for the airport's only scheduled airline, Aurigny Air ServicesAurigny Air Services
Aurigny Air Services was founded by Sir Derrick Bailey and started operations on 1 March 1968 after British United Airways withdrew the Alderney to Guernsey route...
. Alderney is not a 24-hour airport; during winter, it is open Monday to Saturday from 0740 until 1830 and on Sunday from 0855 until 1830. During summer, it is open Monday - Thursday from 0640 until 1730 and Friday - Sunday from 0640 until 1830.
The airport also has its own Non-directional beacon
Non-directional beacon
A non-directional beacon is a radio transmitter at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. As the name implies, the signal transmitted does not include inherent directional information, in contrast to other navigational aids such as low frequency radio range, VHF...
, with runways 08 and 26 utilizing this for instrument approaches during Instrument meteorological conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions is an aviation flight category that describes weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to instruments, and therefore under Instrument Flight Rules , rather than by outside visual references under Visual Flight Rules . Typically, this...
. A GPS (satellite) approach is also being developed in conjunction with Eurocontrol and NATS
NATS
Nats or NATS can refer to:* Nat , a unit of information* National Air Traffic Services, the United Kingdom's main Air Navigation Service Provider * National Association of Teachers of Singing* Naval Air Transport Service...
. This will mean that aircraft can land in lower visibility.
Alderney has self manoeuvring stands. Formal stands are not required due to the lack of space to accommodate nose-in configured aircraft.
Airlines and destinations
The only direct scheduled links from the island are, at July 2011, Southampton and Guernsey. Routes to other destinations such as BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Cherbourg, Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
and 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...
were abandoned over the years due to what Blue Islands
Blue Islands
Blue Islands Limited is an airline of the Channel Islands. Its head office is in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, and its registered office is in Saint Anne, Alderney. It operates scheduled services from and within the Channel Islands and the UK and the Isle of Man...
for example claimed was 'lack of interest'. These routes had been operated on and off by Aurigny and Blue Islands
Blue Islands
Blue Islands Limited is an airline of the Channel Islands. Its head office is in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, and its registered office is in Saint Anne, Alderney. It operates scheduled services from and within the Channel Islands and the UK and the Isle of Man...
but also Alderney Air Ferries, Air Sarnia and Air Camelot during the 1970s and 1980s.
The number of air routes to the island is at its lowest since the Second World War except for a brief intermission during the 1967-8 period, when another airline (GlosAir, later to be Aurigny Air Services
Aurigny Air Services
Aurigny Air Services was founded by Sir Derrick Bailey and started operations on 1 March 1968 after British United Airways withdrew the Alderney to Guernsey route...
) was found to fill the void (see below right).
Statistics
| Year | Passenger Numbers |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 73,088 |
| 2001 | 70,833 |
| 2002 | 64,686 |
| 2003 | 63,153 |
| 2004 | 73,832 |
| 2005 | 77,699 |
| 2006 | 76,806 |
| 2007 | 79,087 |
| 2008 | 77,104 |
| 2009 | 74,835 |
| 2010 | 70,012 |
Future
A Dutch company (Verweij en Partners) which has purchased Fort TourgisFort Tourgis
Fort Tourgis is an extensive fortification in Alderney to the north west of St Anne. First constructed by the British government in 1855 in order to provide defense for the Alderney Breakwater, a major construction project at the time...
(a nearby disused fort) with the intention of redeveloping it into a hotel and conference centre is proposing to an expansion or total rebuild of the airport terminal, as well as a possible runway extension. The States of Alderney
States of Alderney
The States of Alderney is the parliament/council and the legislature of Alderney, part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The origin of the States is unknown, but has operated from the mediaeval period...
has put aside £400,000 from the £1m paid for expansion of the airport. This will most likely be used to pay for redevelopment of the terminal, which is over 40 years old and has a leaky flat roof.
Trislander replacement
A problem currently facing the airport is replacement of the Britten-Norman TrislanderBritten-Norman Trislander
*LIAT*Montserrat Air Services*Air Queensland*Eagle Airways*Aero Services*Cayman Airways*TAVINA*Vision Air*Bali Int. Air Service*Trans Jamaican Airlines*Aero Cozumel*Great Barrier Airlines*Aero Taxi Intl*Aviones de Panama...
. Aurigny has been searching for a successor since the mid-1990s and it is likely that within the next 5 years, the fleet will be retired due to its increasing age (Aurigny aircraft vary from between 35 and nearly 40 years old, except for one aircraft which was assembled from kit form in 1997) and cost. Possible replacements include (in approximate order of size):
- Tecnam P2012 Traveller
- Britten-Norman TrislanderBritten-Norman Trislander*LIAT*Montserrat Air Services*Air Queensland*Eagle Airways*Aero Services*Cayman Airways*TAVINA*Vision Air*Bali Int. Air Service*Trans Jamaican Airlines*Aero Cozumel*Great Barrier Airlines*Aero Taxi Intl*Aviones de Panama...
(new-build and improved) - GECI SK-105 Skylander
- Gippsland AeronauticsGippsland AeronauticsGippsland Aeronautics are an Australian aircraft manufacturer based at Latrobe Valley Airport in Morwell, Victoria. The company builds single-engined utility aircraft. These include the GA8 Airvan and the GA200 Fatman. The company is owned by Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group...
GA18 (a derivative of the GAF Nomad N24GAF NomadThe GAF Nomad is a twin-engine turboprop, high-winged, "short take off and landing" aircraft . It was designed and built by the Australian Government Aircraft Factories at Fishermens Bend, Melbourne. Major users of the design have included the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, the...
) - de Havilland Canada Twin Otter
- Dornier 228
- Let L-420 Turbolet
- Short SC.7 SkyvanShort SC.7 Skyvan-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919 . London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.-External links:****...
- Antonov An-28Antonov An-28|-See also:-External links:**...
/PZL M28 - CASA 212-300 Aviocar
- de Havilland Canada Dash 7De Havilland Canada Dash 7The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with STOL capabilities. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing and was later sold to Bombardier...
Further reading
The book, written by Edward PinnegarEdward Pinnegar
Edward Pinnegar MRAeS is an author and aviation historian. His first book, A History of Aviation in Alderney, was published on 5th August 2010, whilst he was 14 years old....
, documents a previously unpublicised aspect of the island's history, was published by Amberley Publishing in summer 2010.
External links
- Alderney Airport (official site)
- Live Alderney Arrivals / Departures (provided by FlightStats)
- NATS AIS (NATS Aeronautical Information Service)
- CI Aviation (Channel Islands aviation website)