Swansea Airport
Encyclopedia
Swansea Airport is an airport
located at Fairwood Common
on the Gower Peninsula
5 NM west south-west of Swansea
, Wales
.
Ordinary Licence (Number P867) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Swansea Airport Limited). The airport is not licensed for night use.
The airport is mainly used to handle light helicopters and private planes. One of the Wales Air Ambulance helicopters is based there. Additionally, it is used by police helicopters.
An aeroplane training school and club called Cambrian Flying Club is based at the airport offering training on light aircraft. The flight school has a number of aircraft which are also used for practice and leisure these aircraft include, PA38s, PA28s and Cessna 172. The flight school operates tours of Gower
and Wales
from the air.
A helicopter training company called Heli-air Wales has been based at the airport for the last sixteen years, and is accredited with pioneering Helicopter Training in Wales.
A skydiving
club - Skydive Swansea, affiliated with the British Parachute Association
, is based at the airport flying on Britten-Norman Islander
aircraft.
Also based at the airport is 636 VGS operating the Grob Vigilant motor glider which are used by the local Air Training Corps
squadrons.
tower is integrated into the terminal building. The airport has only two hangars, of which one is small and requires updating.
Access to the airport is adequate for the facilities it offers. It can be reached via the A4118 road
, running through the Gower Peninsula
. Overall it is quite distant from any major roads, taking around 20 minutes to reach from the nearest M4 junction, travelling on mainly suburban roads.
The fire brigade at Swansea is CAT 1, but believed to be able to do CAT 2 on request. The airport uses a small Dodge RIV.
during World War II
. The aerodrome was opened on 15 June 1941 as RAF Fairwood Common
, after taking nearly a year to develop. It was originally built to be a fighter station. The airport became a sector station within months of opening, taking on the responsibility of the air defence for the whole of South Wales
.
The airfield fulfilled a variety of military roles during World War II, following which it was decommissioned by the RAF
in 1946. It was not until 1956 that the RAF released the airport land to Swansea Corporation to allow the airport to be developed for commercial usage. In the following 20 years, a variety of airlines operated through the airport with varying degrees of success. Cambrian Airlines operated services to Jersey
and Guernsey
; and Morton Air Services
operated a service to Gatwick
. Scheduled regular flights then ceased in 1969. During the 1970s and 1980s, only ad-hoc and summer charter flights continued to operate.
The 1990s saw the arrival of Heli-air Wales to the airport, and so began the era of Helicopter Training in South Wales. In April 2000, Swansea entrepreneur Martin Morgan via his company Jaxx Landing Ltd., bought the remaining lease. Ambitious plans were put in place to upgrade the then run-down facilities. The airport changed ownership again in 2003, when the Morgans sold their interest in the airport to Swansea Airport Limited, owned by Air Wales owner and director Roy Thomas, who was appointed CEO of the airport company.
The airport was, for a short time, the headquarters of Air Wales
before they ceased all operations from the airport to focus on more popular routes from Cardiff International Airport
, although before their demise, the headquarters remained in Swansea, instead at a city-centre location.
back to Swansea.
Air Wales
used it between 2001 and 2004, offering flights to Dublin, Cork
, Jersey
and London
. However, the venture was not successful. After 18 months of operation, Air Wales's owner Roy Thomas had invested more than £3.25 million of his personal fortune into the airport. The venture received only one tenth of the passengers needed to make the business viable. The final straw came when the CAA
demanded that the airport's landing lights be overhauled at a cost of £350,000. Roy Thomas decided to pull out of Swansea Airport and concentrate Air Wales's operations at Cardiff International Airport
instead.
Since 2004, there have been no scheduled flights operating from the airport.
The Welsh Assembly Government
is currently conducting studies into improving the facilities at the airport as part of the transport infrastructure development strategy for the whole of Wales. The improvements may require some public sector support. Development proposals include: a new terminal building, new hangars, upgraded operating facilities, new fencing and a new access road.
which almost surrounds the airport; noise from the increased number of flights at the airport; and the negative impact of the development of the airport on the local scenery, since Gower is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
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 at Fairwood Common
Fairwood Common
Fairwood Common is a large area of barely populated common land in the heart of the Gower Peninsula, south Wales. It forms part of the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.Swansea Airport is located in the middle of the common...
on the Gower Peninsula
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
5 NM west south-west of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Operations
Swansea Airport has a CAAUnited 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...
Ordinary Licence (Number P867) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Swansea Airport Limited). The airport is not licensed for night use.
The airport is mainly used to handle light helicopters and private planes. One of the Wales Air Ambulance helicopters is based there. Additionally, it is used by police helicopters.
An aeroplane training school and club called Cambrian Flying Club is based at the airport offering training on light aircraft. The flight school has a number of aircraft which are also used for practice and leisure these aircraft include, PA38s, PA28s and Cessna 172. The flight school operates tours of Gower
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
from the air.
A helicopter training company called Heli-air Wales has been based at the airport for the last sixteen years, and is accredited with pioneering Helicopter Training in Wales.
A skydiving
Parachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
club - Skydive Swansea, affiliated with the British Parachute Association
British Parachute Association
British Parachute Association is the National Governing Body for Sport Parachuting in the United Kingdom.-Overview:The BPA was founded in 1961 to organise, govern and further the advancement of sport parachuting within the UK ....
, is based at the airport flying on Britten-Norman Islander
Britten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
aircraft.
Also based at the airport is 636 VGS operating the Grob Vigilant motor glider which are used by the local Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
squadrons.
Facilities
Located on the eastern part of the site is the airport's only terminal building with seats for 25 passengers. The air traffic controlAir 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 is integrated into the terminal building. The airport has only two hangars, of which one is small and requires updating.
Access to the airport is adequate for the facilities it offers. It can be reached via the A4118 road
A4118 road
The A4118 road is a road in Swansea, Wales which connects Dyfatty Street in the city centre with the village of Port Eynon. It runs in an approximate east-west direction...
, running through the Gower Peninsula
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
. Overall it is quite distant from any major roads, taking around 20 minutes to reach from the nearest M4 junction, travelling on mainly suburban roads.
The fire brigade at Swansea is CAT 1, but believed to be able to do CAT 2 on request. The airport uses a small Dodge RIV.
History
Swansea Airport was built on what was originally common landCommon land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
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 aerodrome was opened on 15 June 1941 as RAF Fairwood Common
RAF Fairwood Common
RAF Fairwood Common was a World War II aerodrome located at Fairwood Common on the Gower Peninsula to the west of Swansea. It is now the location of Swansea Airport.-History:...
, after taking nearly a year to develop. It was originally built to be a fighter station. The airport became a sector station within months of opening, taking on the responsibility of the air defence for the whole of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
The airfield fulfilled a variety of military roles during World War II, following which it was decommissioned by the 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...
in 1946. It was not until 1956 that the RAF released the airport land to Swansea Corporation to allow the airport to be developed for commercial usage. In the following 20 years, a variety of airlines operated through the airport with varying degrees of success. Cambrian Airlines operated services to Jersey
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...
and Guernsey
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...
; and Morton Air Services
Morton Air Services
Morton Air Services was one of the earliest post-World War II private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations British airlines formed in 1945. It mainly operated regional short-haul scheduled services within the British Isles and between the United Kingdom and Continental Europe....
operated a service to 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...
. Scheduled regular flights then ceased in 1969. During the 1970s and 1980s, only ad-hoc and summer charter flights continued to operate.
The 1990s saw the arrival of Heli-air Wales to the airport, and so began the era of Helicopter Training in South Wales. In April 2000, Swansea entrepreneur Martin Morgan via his company Jaxx Landing Ltd., bought the remaining lease. Ambitious plans were put in place to upgrade the then run-down facilities. The airport changed ownership again in 2003, when the Morgans sold their interest in the airport to Swansea Airport Limited, owned by Air Wales owner and director Roy Thomas, who was appointed CEO of the airport company.
The airport was, for a short time, the headquarters of Air Wales
Air Wales
Air Wales was an airline based at Cardiff International Airport in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan. It operated scheduled regional services within Great Britain, as well as to Ireland, Belgium and France...
before they ceased all operations from the airport to focus on more popular routes from Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff Airport is an international airport serving Cardiff, and the rest of South, Mid and West Wales. Around 1.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010....
, although before their demise, the headquarters remained in Swansea, instead at a city-centre location.
Development of the airport
With the take over of the airport by Jaxx Landing, activity at the airport began to increase: the Welsh Air Ambulance service based a MBB Bö 105 helicopter at the airport in March 2001; and in June 2003, a second helicopter was added. In August 2001, gliders moved from AberporthAberporth
Aberporth is a community and small town in Ceredigion on the west coast of Wales. The population was 2,485 in 2001.- Location :The town lies at the southern end of Cardigan Bay about six miles north of Cardigan and ten miles south of New Quay approximately one mile west of the A487, on the...
back to Swansea.
Air Wales
Air Wales
Air Wales was an airline based at Cardiff International Airport in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan. It operated scheduled regional services within Great Britain, as well as to Ireland, Belgium and France...
used it between 2001 and 2004, offering flights 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...
, 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 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. However, the venture was not successful. After 18 months of operation, Air Wales's owner Roy Thomas had invested more than £3.25 million of his personal fortune into the airport. The venture received only one tenth of the passengers needed to make the business viable. The final straw came when the CAA
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...
demanded that the airport's landing lights be overhauled at a cost of £350,000. Roy Thomas decided to pull out of Swansea Airport and concentrate Air Wales's operations at Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff International Airport
Cardiff Airport is an international airport serving Cardiff, and the rest of South, Mid and West Wales. Around 1.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010....
instead.
Since 2004, there have been no scheduled flights operating from the airport.
The Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
is currently conducting studies into improving the facilities at the airport as part of the transport infrastructure development strategy for the whole of Wales. The improvements may require some public sector support. Development proposals include: a new terminal building, new hangars, upgraded operating facilities, new fencing and a new access road.
Opposition to the development
There has been widespread local opposition against the idea of further development of the airport. The main concerns are: the impact on the internationally important Special Area of ConservationSpecial Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
which almost surrounds the airport; noise from the increased number of flights at the airport; and the negative impact of the development of the airport on the local scenery, since Gower is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.