| Blackpool International Airport Squires Gate Airport |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Blackpool International Airport terminal building | |||
| IATA: BLK – ICAO: EGNH | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Blackpool Airport Ltd | ||
| Operator | Balfour Beatty | ||
| Serves | Blackpool Lancashire Cumbria |
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| Location | Blackpool, Lancashire | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 34 ft / 10 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Website | |||
| Map | |||
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EGNH
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 10/28 | 1,869 | 6,132 | Asphalt |
| 13/31 | 1,004 | 3,294 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2010) | |||
| Movements | 50,905 | ||
| Passengers | 235,340 | ||
| Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1] Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority[2] |
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Blackpool International Airport (IATA: BLK, ICAO: EGNH) is an international airport on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport.
With aviation roots that trace back to 1909, Blackpool Airport was the first aviation site in the UK. The airport was owned and operated by City Hopper Airports Limited, which also owns Wolverhampton Airport and Biella Airport in Italy, before, in January 2007, being placed under new management after one of its two major shareholders bought out its partner. MAR Properties Ltd agreed terms to take over full control of Blackpool and Wolverhampton Airports.[3] In May 2008, it was announced that Balfour Beatty had purchased MAR Property's 95% stake in the airport.[4] The remaining 5% stake is held by Blackpool Borough Council.[5]
Blackpool Airport Limited has a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P724) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. By the number of passengers handled, Blackpool is the 33rd busiest in the UK.
Several scheduled airlines operate from the airport, as well as charter holiday flights in the summer months. Executive flights operated by J-Max Air Services, which includes Netjets, are also served from Blackpool. Helicopter operations serve north west England’s Irish Sea offshore gas facilities. This service is operated by Bond Offshore Helicopters. Blackpool Airport is also home to the North West Air Ambulance service operated by a twin-engined Eurocopter EC 135.
Passenger numbers decreased sharply from 439,200 in 2008 to 235,340 in 2010, a 46.3% reduction.[2]
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The airport site's first aviation use was in October 1909, when the UK's first official public Flying Meeting was held on a specially laid out site at Squires Gate, followed by another in 1910. By 1911 the site had become a racecourse and it was used as a military hospital during World War I and until 1924. Flights from the site resumed in the early 1930s. Small UK airlines used the airfield during the mid 1930s. Railway Air Services commenced schedules to Blackpool from 15 April 1935, linking the airport with the Isle of Man, Manchester and Liverpool. Connections could be made at the two cities to London and the south and west of England.[6] In June 1937, airline operations were transferred to Stanley Park Aerodrome. [7] The sister of aviation pioneer Amy Johnson lived in Stanley Park, resulting in her often paying a visit; Johnson's last complete flight was a ferry flight for the ATA from Squires Gate to Oxford.[8]
Work on enlarging and improving the airfield and facilities began in late 1937, but the aerodrome was requistioned by the Air Ministry in 1938.[9] Three bituminous runways were laid to support operations, with squadrons stationed at RAF Squires Gate during World War II including:[10]
RAF Coastal Command also established an operational base on site, and expanded RAF Warton to act as a satellite airfield.
The RAF also selected Blackpool as one of its Training Wings due to the availability of accommodation. With training based between Squires Gate and the British Army camps at Weeton and Kirkham,[11] by utilising: the large number of Guest Houses; plus the beaches, pier and the Winter Gardens for exercising; 769,673 recruits received their basic training at Blackpool. The RAF also established two specialist training schools:
The Ministry of War allowed Vickers to operate an aircraft production facility at Squires Gate, producing 2,584 Wellington Medium bombers, several hundred of which were assembled and flown from Stanley Park Aerodrome. Closed in 1945, the factory was reopened by Hawker Aircraft in the mid 1950s to produce the production Hawker Hunter jet fighters, under contract Contract SP/6ACFT/9817/CB 7a.[8]
Scheduled flights were resumed by Isle of Man Air Services in summer 1946. Lancashire Aircraft Corporation and other private airlines established their bases at the airport from 1946 onwards. By 1949, the airfield was controlled by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and renamed Blackpool Airport.
Until January 2006 an Avro Vulcan bomber (serial number: XL391) was on static display outside the entrance to the airport. It was originally put up for sale in October 2004 on eBay and purchased by pub landlord Chris Ollerenshaw for £15,102.03 who had intentions to transport it to his pub and display it in his beer garden. However after finding out that the condition of the aircraft was so poor that moving it would be extremely challenging and that it would cost over £20,000 in addition to the reported £1000 a week storage charge, Mr Ollernshaw pulled out of the deal and demanded his money back and later relinquished ownership of the plane back to the airport. The Vulcan was then sold on for scrap for £4000 and was scrapped and completely removed from the site on 12 January 2006.
In recent years the airport has been steadily expanding, accommodating helicopter operations for British Gas, and attracting scheduled flights from budget airlines, Jet2 and Ryanair and also scheduled services by smaller operators to the Isle of Man. Since World War II, the airport has also been a thriving centre for private, club and general aviation. Ryanair have since left the airport.
In 2005, Jet2 became the first major low cost airline to base an aircraft at Blackpool Airport. This created around 50 new jobs and boosted passenger numbers. It now serves seven destinations from the airport - five in Spain and the Canaries (Palma, Alicante, Murcia, Tenerife South, Malaga), one in Portugal (Faro). Jet2 also offers a domestic service to Belfast
Also in 2005, Monarch set up a new route to Malaga, three times a week. After a year though the airline ceased services, blaming low passenger numbers as the reason. However, Jet2.com had earlier announced that it would be operating flights to Malaga.
In February 2006, the airport completed an investment of £2 million in refurbishing the airport terminal and car parks. The improvements included more check-in desks, new eating facilities, a new information desk, an open-plan departure lounge, more gates, new shopping facilities, an executive lounge, a new flight information system, an additional baggage reclaim belt and a new interior colour scheme and logo.
A new long stay car park was created while the existing area was extended. Later in 2006 the aircraft parking area was extended.
British North West Airlines, the smallest airline based at Blackpool has now, according to its website, stopped trading for both charter and scheduled flights. The website links all viewers to Manx2, which is now flying the route up to four times a day. Manx2 has brought low fares to the Isle of Man route, and passenger numbers on this route doubled in January 2007.
With the growth of the airport, a new carrier, the ACMI company, Jetstream Executive, operating under the name, Jetstream Express, introduced flights in 2007 from the airport to Belfast City Airport from (May), Aberdeen Airport (from June) and Southampton Airport (from July). The Belfast route was in competition with Jet2.com, who operate twice daily between Blackpool and Belfast International Airport. Two Jetstream 31s were based at the airport. However, in June 2007 a notice appeared on the Jetsteam Express website stating - "With immediate effect, Jetstream Express have ceased operating the routes to Blackpool, Aberdeen, Southampton and Belfast", adding that all flights were withdrawn as the routes have not proved viable.
In 2007 Jet2 cancelled its Prague and Amsterdam services. Ryanair also cancelled its twice daily flights to London Stansted stating that it fell into the bottom three routes across its network.
On 6 May 2008, Balfour Beatty bought a 95% stake in the airport for £14million.[4] The construction company also owns Exeter Airport. The company stated that one of their top priorities is to re-establish a link to London,[12] which Blackpool lost in 2007 when Ryanair discontinued its Stansted route.
On 18 July 2008, the Blackpool Gazette announced that Jet2 planned to suspend its daily service from Blackpool to Belfast International for the winter. A dip in passenger numbers and the rising price of oil has taken its toll on the service. According to the newspaper, Jet2 will restart the daily Belfast service from March 2009.[13]
In the summer of 2008 Ryanair announced a large cut in capacity at a number of airports, including Stansted, from October 2008 to March 2009, although Blackpool was not affected by these cuts.[13] However, on 25 November 2008 Ryanair announced the intention to withdraw all flights from 5 January 2009 following the airport's introduction of a £10 per person Airport Development Fee.[14] [15]
After the £10 Airport Development Fee was introduced, a new airline was sought to replace Ryanair on its very popular route to Dublin. Aer Arann were their successors and commenced operations shortly after. The short hop over the Irish Sea is operated daily by an ATR 72 turboprop aircraft and has the possibility of catching a connecting flight to New York directly from Dublin. The airline has since merged with Aer Lingus and now operates under the titles of Aer Lingus Regional.
During 2011 the airport has undergone a few changes on the airfield itself. Runway 07/25 has been closed as an active runway and has now been opened as Taxiway C running the full length of the old runway. Therefore the old Taxiway C has been closed and the northern part of it (between Runway 10/28 and the old Runway 07/25) has been opened as an extension of Taxiway E. Another notable change has been the relocation of the airport's Fire Services. They have been moved from their position north of the fuel farm to a more central position in between the terminal and some of the flying clubs on the Taxiway B ramp.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Aer Lingus Regional operated by Aer Arann |
Dublin |
| BAE | Barrow/Walney Island |
| Jet2.com | Alicante, Tenerife-South Seasonal: Belfast-International, Faro, Jersey, Málaga, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca |
| Manx2 | Isle of Man, Belfast City |
| Number of Passengers | Aircraft Movements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 80,501 | 71,788 | |
| 2002 | 70,385 | 68,786 | |
| 2003 | 186,740 | 75,371 | |
| 2004 | 266,179 | 76,314 | |
| 2005 | 377,073 | 76,779 | |
| 2006 | 552,724 | 65,990 | |
| 2007 | 558,278 | 58,824 | |
| 2008 | 439,200 | 54,249 | |
| 2009 | 276,866 | 52,575 | |
| 2010 | 235,340 | 50,905 | |
| Source: CAA Official Statistics[16] | |||
| Rank | Airport | Passengers Handled |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alicante | 41,215 |
| 2 | Faro Airport | 29,910 |
| 3 | Malaga | 25,276 |
| 4 | Belfast | 24,537 |
| 5 | Palma | 24,224 |
| 6 | Isle of Man | 23,795 |
| 7 | Dublin | 22,009 |
| 8 | Belfast | 15,232 |
| 9 | Murcia | 14,490 |
| 10 | Jersey | 7,998 |
On 27 August 1941 two aircraft, a RAF Blackburn Botha trainer and a Boulton Paul Defiant fighter, serials L6509 and N1745 respectively, collided in midair over the sea, just off Blackpool's central seafront. The debris from the collision was strewn over a large area but a large part of it struck the then Blackpool Central railway station causing severe damage and killing 12 people. Both aircraft had taken off from Blackpool Airport.
On 29 June 1972 a HFB-320 Hansa Jet, registration D-CASY crashed on take-off. The pilot attempted to abort the take-off but over shot the end of the runway, crossed some grass land to the airport boundary. The aircraft then crossed over railway lines and continued into a holiday camp immediately bordering the airport, demolishing six chalets, damaging several others and finally catching fire. 2 crew members and 5 of the 6 passengers were killed. Nobody in the holiday camp was hurt.
On 27 September 1982, Douglas C-47 G-AKNB of Harvest Air was damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Blackpool Airport.[17]
On 27 December 2006 a Eurocopter AS365N, registration G-BLUN, crashed into the Irish Sea, 24 miles offshore because of pilot error. There were 7 persons onboard the helicopter, 5 passengers and 2 crew members. There have been 6 bodies recovered and the 7th body is still reported to be missing. The helicopter was based at Blackpool Airport and the flight had also originated from the Squires Gate base.
On 3 February 2007 a Piper Cherokee registered G-BBBK was approaching the airport when it crashed on to the beach on the Fylde Coast. The flight had originated from Exeter Airport and was returning to the field following a VFR flight and was arriving in thick fog. The Cherokee missed the turn onto the final approach of Runway 10 and continued several miles North before running out of altitude and ending up on the beach between the Central and Southern piers. Both men were killed in the crash.
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