Plymouth City Airport
Encyclopedia
Plymouth City Airport is an airport
located within the City of Plymouth
3.5 NM north northeast of the city centre in Devon
, England
. The airport opened on this site in 1925 and was officially opened by the Edward VIII
, as Prince of Wales
, in 1931. The airport is located close to the city centre
and has a modern terminal
.
The airport is owned by the Sutton Harbour Group, a Plymouth-based company, on land leased from Plymouth City Council.
In 2009, 157,933 passengers passed through the airport, a sharp increase of 34.0% on the 2008 total of 117,823 making Plymouth one of the only UK airports experiencing significant growth during the period. However, following the withdrawal of London flights in early 2011, the airport's owners said passenger totals had fallen to fewer than 100 a day. The London Stock Exchange was notified on 28 April 2011 that the airport would close by the end of the year.
Plymouth City Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P687) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
, to Croydon
carried passengers from a grass strip at Chelson Meadow. Following the flight, Plymouth City Council looked for a permanent site for an airport. In 1925, the airport was moved to Roborough
in north Plymouth. The Prince of Wales
officially opened the airport in July 1931. As well as transporting mail and passengers, the airport was used as a bad weather training base for the Royal Air Force
.
together with the added security delays associated with internal air travel when compared with moderately fast road and rail links make Plymouth Airport less attractive than before. Efforts to reinvigorate the support of the local business community met with polite well disposed indifference. Diversion to Newquay is not convenient. The travel on time from London Gatwick
to London Victoria adds considerably to total travel time.
However, despite many local residents sharing the view that these developments represented the 'beginning of the end' for the airport, in October 2007 Air Southwest announced new routes to Dublin, Cork
, Chambéry
, Glasgow
(International) and Newcastle
. Sutton Harbour who own the airport (and Air Southwest) are also investigating the possibility of extending the main runway (13/31) which would enable larger aircraft to use the airport thus leading to a further expansion in services. Extension of the runway was previously not possible due to a factory, which has recently been demolished, being located close to the threshold of Runway 31.
Further support for the continued use of the airport came in February 2008 when Air Southwest and the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce announced the results of an air travel survey aimed at over 200 businesses in Plymouth. The results found that:
A multi-million pound airport redevelopment was given the go ahead. The redevelopment will be paid for by selling off the shorter of the two runways to build 375 houses, offices and a 60-bed care home.
On 24 August 2009, runway 06/24 closed and will not be used again.
On 1 February 2011 the Air Southwest service to London Gatwick ceased. The council had searched for a new operator, but no successor airline came forward to take over.
On 28 April 2011 Sutton Harbour Holdings announced that the airport would close by the end of the year.
On 28 July 2011 the last commercial passenger flights operated from the airport. After this point, and until the end of Air Southwest operations in September 2011, passengers will be transported by coach to Newquay Airport.
had its management head office at the airport, but announced that 12 jobs would be lost and its Plymouth office would close, moving instead to Humberside, which is the main operations base for Eastern Airways
. Its main maintenance base was moved to Newquay early in 2011. When Brymon Airways
existed, its head office was in Brymon House within the airport perimeter.
pulled out of Plymouth in July 2011 as part of the airline's closure in September 2011.
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...
located within the City of 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...
3.5 NM north northeast of the city centre in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, 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...
. The airport opened on this site in 1925 and was officially opened by the Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, in 1931. The airport is located close to the city centre
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
and has a modern 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....
.
The airport is owned by the Sutton Harbour Group, a Plymouth-based company, on land leased from Plymouth City Council.
In 2009, 157,933 passengers passed through the airport, a sharp increase of 34.0% on the 2008 total of 117,823 making Plymouth one of the only UK airports experiencing significant growth during the period. However, following the withdrawal of London flights in early 2011, the airport's owners said passenger totals had fallen to fewer than 100 a day. The London Stock Exchange was notified on 28 April 2011 that the airport would close by the end of the year.
Plymouth City Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P687) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
History
In 1923, a mail flight, flown by Alan CobhamAlan Cobham
Sir Alan John Cobham, KBE, AFC was an English aviation pioneer.A member of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Alan Cobham became famous as a pioneer of long distance aviation. After the war he became a test pilot for the de Havilland aircraft company, and was the first pilot for the newly...
, to Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
carried passengers from a grass strip at Chelson Meadow. Following the flight, Plymouth City Council looked for a permanent site for an airport. In 1925, the airport was moved to Roborough
Roborough
Roborough is a village in the South Hams of Devon, England. It lies just outside the northern boundary of the city of Plymouth on the main road to Tavistock, and is a popular dormitory village....
in north Plymouth. The Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
officially opened the airport in July 1931. As well as transporting mail and passengers, the airport was used as a bad weather training base for the Royal Air Force
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...
.
Present day
In September 2007 the airport management announced that the second runway might be sold for industrial and residential development. However, this runway cannot be used by commercial airlines. This prompted a response from the city assets manager which indicated a review of the demand for and extent of local interest in a Plymouth City Airport. The end of flights to FranceFrance
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...
together with the added security delays associated with internal air travel when compared with moderately fast road and rail links make Plymouth Airport less attractive than before. Efforts to reinvigorate the support of the local business community met with polite well disposed indifference. Diversion to Newquay is not convenient. The travel on time from 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...
to London Victoria adds considerably to total travel time.
However, despite many local residents sharing the view that these developments represented the 'beginning of the end' for the airport, in October 2007 Air Southwest announced new routes to Dublin, Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Chambéry
Chambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(International) and 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...
. Sutton Harbour who own the airport (and Air Southwest) are also investigating the possibility of extending the main runway (13/31) which would enable larger aircraft to use the airport thus leading to a further expansion in services. Extension of the runway was previously not possible due to a factory, which has recently been demolished, being located close to the threshold of Runway 31.
Further support for the continued use of the airport came in February 2008 when Air Southwest and the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce announced the results of an air travel survey aimed at over 200 businesses in Plymouth. The results found that:
- 82% of respondents believe that the air links are important for the economic prosperity of the city
- Only 1/3 of local companies believe Plymouth has good road and rail links to the destinations used for business
- More than half of the businesses questioned use Air Southwest's London Gatwick service on a regular basis
A multi-million pound airport redevelopment was given the go ahead. The redevelopment will be paid for by selling off the shorter of the two runways to build 375 houses, offices and a 60-bed care home.
On 24 August 2009, runway 06/24 closed and will not be used again.
On 1 February 2011 the Air Southwest service to London Gatwick ceased. The council had searched for a new operator, but no successor airline came forward to take over.
On 28 April 2011 Sutton Harbour Holdings announced that the airport would close by the end of the year.
On 28 July 2011 the last commercial passenger flights operated from the airport. After this point, and until the end of Air Southwest operations in September 2011, passengers will be transported by coach to Newquay Airport.
Facilities
Air SouthwestAir Southwest
Air Southwest was a British airline owned by Eastern Airways. It operated regional scheduled passenger services in the South West of England. Its main base was Plymouth City Airport, with hubs at Newquay Cornwall Airport and Bristol Airport...
had its management head office at the airport, but announced that 12 jobs would be lost and its Plymouth office would close, moving instead to Humberside, which is the main operations base for Eastern Airways
Eastern Airways
Eastern 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...
. Its main maintenance base was moved to Newquay early in 2011. When Brymon Airways
Brymon Airways
Brymon Airways is a former British airline with its head office in the Brymon House on the property of Plymouth City Airport in Plymouth, Devon...
existed, its head office was in Brymon House within the airport perimeter.
Airlines and destinations
No airlines currently operate from Plymouth. Air SouthwestAir Southwest
Air Southwest was a British airline owned by Eastern Airways. It operated regional scheduled passenger services in the South West of England. Its main base was Plymouth City Airport, with hubs at Newquay Cornwall Airport and Bristol Airport...
pulled out of Plymouth in July 2011 as part of the airline's closure in September 2011.
Passenger statistics
| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | % Change 2008 / 09 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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... |
57,516 | 5 | |
| 2 | 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... |
24,370 | 42 | |
| 3 | Manchester | 24,307 | 26 | |
| 4 | Newcastle Newcastle Airport Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom.... |
16,772 | 25 | |
| 5 | 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... |
13,434 | 10 | |
| 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 |
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