unused uk airports/airfields

[stab3.5up]

Does anyone know how many airports/airfields are available in the uk and ireland that could facilitate scheduled air services but at the moment do not.

i only ask as i wonder if wr are in the uk maximising the potential that may be there.

I am not intetested in the economic pros and cons of establishing air services really just what airports etc are out there that COULD.

[LEEDS APPROACH]

Durham castle / thornaby on tees international

[LEEDS APPROACH]

Sheffield donny and barnsley robin and his merry men SKYHARBOUR

[NorthSouth]

Durham and Doncaster both have scheduled services. The question was which airports don't but could. I'd suggest Carlisle, Hawarden, Cambridge, Coventry, Shoreham and Swansea are probably the only ones. All of these (except Hawarden?) have had schedules in the past.
NS

[Dave Gittins]

Hawarden used to have a flight to Liverpool by British Eagle 1 -11 ... it took about 6 minutes and cost 10 /-. I think it dropped in on the way to/from Heathrow or Gatwick.

You could add Biggin to the list. What are the criteria for "could facilitate scheduled air services but at the moment do not." capable of taking a 737 or a BN-2 ?

[Mike Tee]

That is a joke isn't it, "Thornaby on Tees" disappeared under a shopping centre 40 years ago.

[jabird]

As said on another thread - OEM (Oxford Endeavour Morse) - has a Jersey charter, won't mention the V word!

Biggin Hill & Northolt take small stuff, but afaik planning restrictions, rather than airfield constraints prevent them from actually operating flights.

If you came in with a rescue package, Plymouth is awaiting a future use.

[LEEDS APPROACH]

Mike Tee,

if you are going to talk about areas being covered by shopping centres you really should be on the Durham thread.;)

[codpiece face]

RAE Bedford

[eastern wiseguy]

RAF Northolt...

[LN-KGL]

Used or unused airfields - using former airfields for raising turkeys seems to be a popular second use like at Wendling and Cockthorpe

Cockthorpe, United Kingdom - Google Maps (http://maps.google.no/maps?q=Cockthorpe,+United+Kingdom&hl=no&ll=52.943699,0.958085&spn=0.000026,0.027874&sll=52.698546,0.830283&sspn=0.021976,0.055747&oq=Cockthorpe&hnear=Cockthorpe,+Norfolk,+Storbritannia&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=52.938159,0.958339&panoid=23vtavtW02M8kLgh3uJ7gA&cbp=12,205.15,,0,7.9)

[The SSK]

In theory, antwhere that a Twin Otter could fly into our out of, seeing as you are not intetested (?) in the economic pros and cons. Hundreds of places.

In the years that I've been around and about, far, far more airports/fields have dropped out of the scheduled network (or have come and gone) than have been added to it.

[stab3.5up]

Im kinda thinking more along the lines of an underused resource.

[Flypuppy]

Prestwick, Campbeltown, Carlisle, Coventry...

[willy wombat]

Farnborough, Dunsfold

[scr1]

broadford isle of skye, plockton

[highwideandugly]

Every UK airport(ex.Heathrow) unless this government changes its policy,outlook and taxation!!!

[Barling Magna]

Until April, Southend falls into the underused resource category, but hopefully it will repay the considerable investment it has received once EZY start services. Swansea, Carlisle, Cambridge, Coventry, Lydd, Manston are all underused; Durham Tees Valley is struggling. Plymouth needs resuscitation....

[TDK mk2]

Upper Heyford; run HS2 through it and you've got an airport for the south of England with links to London and Birmingham in about 25 mins, and the M40 nice and handy. Better not ask the locals tho...

[ConstantFlyer]

..how many airports/airfields are available in the uk and ireland that could facilitate scheduled air services but at the moment do not?

stab3.5up I agree that this is all about maximising potential for scheduled air services. There are plenty of existing runways all over the UK and Ireland, but whether or not they are in the right place is, as you say, down to the economic pros and cons.

I'd split them into four categories of potential: Intercontinental (eg widebody to NYC or DXB), European (eg 737 to Canaries/Cyprus), Regional (eg E90 to Spain/Poland), and Local (eg ATR to DUB/AMS or domestic).

Intercontinental
MoD Boscombe Down (Wiltshire)
Bristol Filton - sadly recently closed - once had OLT service to Toulouse
RAF Brize Norton (Oxfordshire)
Bruntingthorpe (Leicestershire)
RAF Coningsby (Lincolnshire)
RAF Fairford (Gloucestershire)
Farnborough (Hampshire)
RAF Honington (Norfolk)
RAF Kinloss (Scotland)
RAF Lakenheath (Suffolk)
RAF Leeming (Yorkshire)
RAF Leuchars (Scotland)
Llanbedr (West Wales)
RAF Lossiemouth (Scotland)
RAF Lyneham - due to close
RAF Marham (Norfolk)
RAF Mildenhall (Suffolk)
RAF Scampton (Lincolnshire)
RAF Waddington (Lincolnshire)
Warton (Preston)
Wattisham (Suffolk)
RAF Wittering (Lincolnshire)
Woodford (Cheshire) - sadly recently closed
RAF Wyton (Cambridgeshire)
RNAS Yeovilton (Somerset)

European
Baldonnel (Dublin)
RAF Barkston Heath (Lincolnshire)
Cambridge
Carlisle
Chalgrove (Oxfordshire)
RM Chivenor (Devon)
RAF Church Fenton (Yorkshire)
Coventry
RAF Cranwell (Lincolnshire)
RNAS Culdrose (Cornwall)
RAF Dishforth (Yorkshire)
Hawarden (nr. Chester) - used to have OLT Toulouse service
Kemble (Gloucestershire)
RAF Linton-on-Ouse (Yorkshire)
RAF Odiham (Hampshire)
North Weald (Essex)

Regional
RAF Benson (Oxfordshire)
Biggin Hill
Cranfield (Bedfordshire)
Gamston (Nottinghamshire)
Haverfordwest
Lasham (Hampshire)
RNAS Merryfield (Somerset)
RAF Mona (Anglesey)
RAF Northolt
RAF St Athan (South Wales)
RAF Syerston (Newark)
RAF Topcliffe (Yorkshire)
RAF Woodvale (Merseyside)

Local
Blackbushe (Hampshire)
Duxford (Cambridgeshire)
Enniskillen (Northern Ireland)
Lydd (Kent)
Oban
Oxford - scheduled services starting soon, March I think, to IOM and JER
Swansea
Yeovil (Somerset)

[ZOOKER]

At the present time, R/W 05R/23L at EGCC is an underused resource

[pwalhx]

At the present time, R/W 05R/23L at EGCC is an underused resource

Which means unlike some other airports it has the ability to expand

[stab3.5up]

From the very detailed list i note the majority are raf or ex raf. are any of these in a position to accept civil operations.

i suppose i have to ask what operators would use these more niche for want of a better phrase airports as manx2 appear to be carving quite a msrket for themselves in this area

[racedo]

if you are going to talk about areas being covered by shopping centres

Heathrow !!!!!

Used to be an airport there apparently...:E

[ZOOKER]

Why not simply attatch air-bridges and a runway to Bluewater?

[LGS6753]

Lydd
Shoreham
Manston
Bembridge
Sandown
St Just
Lyneham
Swansea
Haverfordwest
Pembrey
St Athan
Cambridge
Carlisle
Brize Norton
Fairford
Kemble
Coventry
Plymouth
etc

Sorry for any duplication.

[ZOOKER]

Barrow-In-Furness.
Did have a scheduled service to EGCC in the late 1980s with BN2s operated by , well, 'Air Furness', naturally.

[MerchantVenturer]

Bristol Filton - sadly recently closed - once had OLT service to Toulouse

Not closed yet - due to be at the end of this year though the aviation-related industries at the site will continue.

So far as I know bmiRegional still operates regular flights to Toulouse and Broughton.

[cornishsimon]

Bristol Filton - sadly recently closed - once had OLT service to Toulouse
Not closed yet - due to be at the end of this year though the aviation-related industries at the site will continue.

So far as I know bmiRegional still operates regular flights to Toulouse and Broughton


Correct.

I would also add NQY to the under used section

cs

[Phileas Fogg]

South Marston

[mustrum_ridcully]

Phileas I think the Honda factory might get in the way ;)

Sticking to that part of the world though, RAF/RNAY Wroughton (Science Museum Swindon).

[840]

For the list for Ireland, you can add Galway and Sligo nowadays

[sunday8pm]

Good list, RAF Honington is in Suffolk not Norfolk though. Who would want to run a scheduled service from there to anywhere else I'm not quite sure.

[Phileas Fogg]

Besides South Marston there could also be Colerne, Hullavington etc. Have some fond memories of sitting in the Hullavington tower ..... never mind Keevil ... but that's another story :)

[yates]

I am not intetested in the economic pros and cons of establishing air services really just what airports etc are out there that COULD.

Chicken and egg situation - an airport which does not have a sufficient catchment area in the immediate vicinity will never be able to support any air service unless it is a "public service requirement" such as those operating to and from the Scottish Islands to the Mainland and similar services in Ireland.
Then you've got to consider the local competition from local rail services - it's often said that if the First Class Rail fare to any destination you want to serve, is cheaper than the minimum fare you can afford to charge, don't even think about it.
Many, if not all, of the airports mentioned would never support regular air services, mainly because they don't have the catchment area, but also because no one could justify investing in the requisite infrastructure.

Sorry to deflate your boat, but it was very intersesting to see all the places mentioned which once had the potential but, for one reason or another, someone missed the opportunity.

[Tower Ranger]

West Freugh

[stab3.5up]

So i guess here wot we are saying is that regards airports, we are were we are and we are unlikly too see and additional airports being used anytime soon.

[Mikhail Sharpowicz]

Woodbridge
Bentwaters

[ZOOKER]

Manby, Strubby, Wymeswold, Crosland Moor, Stretton, Salmesbury, Ashbourne. Tollerton, Langar, Rearsby, Hucknall, Bruntingthorpe, Leicester East, Bitteswell. Loughborough, Darley Moor.