Aberdeen Airport

For other uses, see Aberdeen Airport (disambiguation).

Aberdeen Airport Aberdeen/Dyce Airport Port-adhair Obar Dheathain
IATA: ABZ – ICAO: EGPD
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner/Operator		BAA Limited
Serves		Aberdeen
Location		Dyce, Aberdeen
Elevation AMSL		215 ft / 66 m
Coordinates		57°12′07″N 002°11′52″W
Website		www.aberdeenairport.com
Map
EGPD Location of airport in Aberdeen
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
16/34	1,953	6,407	Asphalt
Helipads
Number	Length		Surface
	m	ft
H05/H23	476	1,562	Asphalt
H14/H32	581	1,906	Asphalt
H36	260	853	Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Passengers			3,103,892
Passenger change 10-11			11.8%
Aircraft Movements			97,641
Movements change 10-11			8.0%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Aberdeen Airport (Scottish Gaelic: Port-adhair Obar Dheathain) (IATA: ABZ, ICAO: EGPD) is an international airport, located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately 5 NM (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 3.1 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2011, an increase of 11.8% compared with 2010, making it the 14th busiest airport in the UK. The airport was the second busiest airport in Scotland, and sixth busiest in the United Kingdom by number of flight movements in 2011.

The airport is owned and operated by BAA, which also owns and operates five other UK airports, and is itself owned by ADI Limited, an international consortium, which includes Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and GIC Special Investments, that is led by the Spanish Ferrovial Group.

Aberdeen Airport is a base for BMI Regional (a subsidiary of BMI) and Eastern Airways. The Airport also serves as the main heliport for the Scottish offshore oil industry. With the utilization of newer aircraft, helicopters can reach northern most platforms on both the East and west of Shetland areas. However, Helicopters frequently use Wick, Kirkwall, Scatsa and Sumburgh for refuelling stops.

The airport has one main passenger terminal, serving scheduled and charter holiday flights. In addition, there are 3 terminals dedicated to North Sea helicopter operations, used by Bristow Helicopters, CHC-Scotia, and Bond Offshore Helicopters. There is also a small terminal adjacent to the main passenger terminal, Broomfield House, used primarily for oil company charter flights to Scatsta in Shetland, operated by Eastern Airways

History

The airport opened in 1934, established by Eric Gandar Dower, intended to link the northern islands of Scotland with London.

During Second World War the airfield became a Royal Air Force station - RAF Dyce. It was the site of the Dyce Sector Operations Room within No. 13 Group RAF. Although fighters were based there throughout the Battle of Britain to provide protection from German bombing raids from Occupied Norway, it was mainly used as a photographic reconnaissance base. Anti-shipping operations by Coastal Command were carried out from RAF Dyce as well as convoy escort.

A significant wartime event occurred in May 1943 when a German, Junkers Ju 88 fighter-bomber landed here; it was flown to Scotland by its crew, who wanted to defect to the Allied side. The surrender of this aircraft was of great intelligence value at the time, as it was fitted with the latest FuG 202 Liechtenstein BC A.I radar. The aircraft survives and is displayed in the RAF Museum in London.

During air raids in the Second World War, aircraft were moved to East Fingask beside Oldmeldrum. One RAF building still remains at East Fingask, where aircrews waiting for the "All Clear" before returning to Dyce airfield. Virtually nothing remains from the war era at the airport due to expansion and development of the industrial estates around it.

The original airport terminal was located at the East Side where the Airport Social club and Bond Offshore helicopters are located, a new terminal was built along with a new control tower to handle the increase in air traffic.

The airport was nationalized in 1947 and was transferred to the control of the British Airports Authority (BAA) in 1975. From 1967 and 1970 there were regular flights to Moscow and Toronto; these were later stopped due to cost related problems.

British Airways Airbus A320 and Coast Air ATR-42 in 2001

With the discovery of North Sea oil, helicopter operations began in 1967, linking the growing number of oil rigs to the mainland. As Aberdeen became the largest oil-related centre in Europe, the airport became the world's largest commercial heliport. Today, Aberdeen Airport handles more than 37,000 rotary wing movements carrying around 468,000 passengers annually. Helicopters account for almost half of all aircraft movements at the airport.

Aberdeen have had a few interesting visitors, During an Airshow in the 1980s, Concorde did a "touch and go". A Boeing 747 owned by Alitalia also did a touch and go during a training flight from Italy, this was piloted by a local pilot from Strathdon. During the peak of the oil boom in the 1980s, British Airways used to use Lockheed Tristar for the Heathrow shuttle. To guide the aircraft in, the marshaller had to stand on the terminal building room so the pilot could see them. When Aberdeen Football Club played Real Madrid for a European cup, a range of aircraft were chartered to ferry the fans to Sweded, these aircraft included a 4 engined Douglas DC-8. Up until the purchase of a Boeing 757, Donald trump's Boing 727 was a regular visitor.

Until March 2005, aircraft were not allowed to take-off or land between 22:30 and 06:00 local time due to noise constraints. The city council overturned this ban, however, despite some Dyce residents' objections, and the airport is now open 24 hours a day.

General aviation (light aircraft) flight training for private pilots licenses takes place from the East Side of the airport and based in the ground Handling agents premises. The ground handling agent there also manages the VIP flights and corporate jets that park on the Eastside Apron.

The air ambulance (fixed wing) is based on the eastside apron in a dedicated hangar, the company operates King-Air aircraft from Aberdeen.

Future plans

Aberdeen heliport

Aberdeen Airport has now begun work on a £10 million construction project to attract more international routes.

BAA expects to spend £60million on extending the runway farther still to allow bigger, more modern aircraft to fly from Aberdeen to destinations across the Mediterranean, North Africa and North America, as well as building a bigger, better-equipped terminal and new parking stands for aircraft. During the construction phase of the runway extension and taxiiway, the airport's military past has been revealed. To date two pieces of WW2 ordanance has been unearthed. The reason for this is the taxiway extension route straight runs straight through the old bomb dump. The runway extension has now been completed 8 months early, allowing the potential for new services in 2012 using larger aircraft such as the Boeing 767.

BAA predicts passenger numbers at Aberdeen will rise to 5.9 million by 2030, and says the expansion will create more than 1,200 jobs at the airport and many more across Scotland.

Refurbishment work will see the installation of a segregated walkway for passengers, as well significant enhancements to the international arrivals hall and improvements to jet parking stands.

The first phase of the work will be completed early next year, with all upgrades conforming to UK Border Agency requirements.

Phases two and three will then involve additions to the international arrivals hall, centring on improving its passport control and baggage reclaim facilities as well as increasing floor space.

A separate £2 million project to transform the terminal forecourt at Aberdeen Airport got underway in July 2008 and was due to be completed that autumn.

On October 6 2011 Aberdeen Airport announced the 124 metre runway extension had opened 8 months ahead of schedule.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Aer Lingus Regional operated by Aer Arann	Dublin
Air France operated by Régional	Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Atlantic Airways	Seasonal: Vágar
Azerbaijan Airlines	Baku
BA Cityflyer	Seasonal charter: Malaga, Palma
BH Air	Seasonal: Bourgas
BMI	London-Heathrow Seasonal charter: Ibiza, Palma, Reus
bmi operated by bmi Regional	Esbjerg, Groningen, London-Heathrow, Manchester, Norwich
British Airways	London-Heathrow
Eastern Airways	Bergen, Bristol, Cardiff, Durham Tees Valley, East Midlands, Humberside, Leeds/Bradford, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, Southampton, Stavanger, Stornoway, Wick Oil Charter: Scatsta
EasyJet	London-Gatwick, London-Luton
Flybe	Belfast-City, Birmingham, Exeter, Jersey, Leeds/Bradford, London-Gatwick, Manchester
Flybe operated by Loganair	Kirkwall, Sumburgh
KLM	Amsterdam
KLM operated by KLM Cityhopper	Amsterdam
Lufthansa operated by Lufthansa CityLine	Frankfurt
Scandinavian Airlines	Copenhagen, Stavanger
Scandinavian Airlines operated by Cimber Sterling	Copenhagen
Small Planet Airlines	Seasonal charter: Catania, Dubrovnik, Naples, Porto, Seville, Verona
Thomas Cook Airlines	Tenerife-South Seasonal: Antalya, Dalaman, Enfidha, Fuerteventura, Ibiza, Larnaca, Palma de Mallorca, Reus
Thomson Airways	Seasonal: Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife-South
Widerøe	Bergen, Stavanger

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Ben Air	Kirkwall, Sumburgh
Loganair	East Midlands, Edinburgh
West Air Atlantic	East Midlands

Facilities

Head office of BMI Regional

The main terminal before renovation

The airport terminal provides various shopping and eating facilities before and after security, including WHSmith, Boots, Dixons, Costa Coffee and duty free stores. In addition, the airport's other facilities include a games area, car hire, internet access, bureau de change, tourist information services and executive lounges.^{[citation needed]}

There is also a Thistle Hotel and Speedbird Inn on the airport site, with a Travelodge and Marriott Hotel between the airport and the nearby Dyce railway station.^{[citation needed]}

BMI Regional has its head office in Aberdeen Airport East.

Incidents and accidents

• On 3 March 2009, seven protesters from Plane Stupid occupied a taxiway at Aberdeen Airport, barricading themselves within a makeshift wire enclosure while two further protesters occupied the roof of the main terminal building. Their actions were in protest at the proposed extension to the Airport runway, and Donald Trump's plan to create a Golf Resort in the area. After a number of hours, the group eventually ended their protest, and were arrested by Police.
• On 22 June 2006, a City Star Airlines Dornier 328 (TF-CSB) operating a passenger flight from Stavanger, Norway, overshot the end of the airport's runway by several hundred yards as it came in to land. None of the 16 passengers and 3 crew members on board were injured.
• On 24 December 2002 a Swearingen Metroliner III (OY-BPH) of Danish operator North Flying crashed after take off from Aberdeen on a positioning flight to Aalborg in Denmark. Immediately after take-off the aircraft was suspected to have suffered a major power loss in its right engine and crashed into a field just to the south of the airport. It slid along the field and through a fence onto Dyce Drive, a main road into the airport, where it hit a moving car and then came to rest. The two crew and driver of the car survived the accident, with only one crewmember sustaining minor injuries.
• On 13 June 2001 a Gama Aviation Beechcraft 200 Super King Air (G-BPPM) crashed at Aberdeen when its undercarriage collapsed on landing. The aircraft slid down the runway for around 500 metres before coming to rest. The flight had departed Aberdeen for Humberside but returned after a problem was discovered with the undercarriage. The two crew and four passengers were unhurt.
• On 4 July 1983, Bristow Helicopters AS332L Super Puma (G-TIGD) crashed on landing at Aberdeen. During the approach to Aberdeen from the North Hutton platform, a loud bang was heard, followed by severe vibration. A PAN call was made to ATC by the crew. Shortly before landing control was lost and the helicopter struck the runway heavily on its side. 10 of 16 passengers received serious injuries. A tail boom panel had become detached in flight and damaged all five tail rotor blades. The resulting imbalance to the tail rotor assembly led to the separation of this unit and subsequent loss of control.
• In the late 70s, a Trident Aircraft overshot the runway ending up at the Northern end of runway 34 (35 at the time)
• On 2 September 1947 Vickers Viking C.2 VL245 of the RAF King's Flight crashed in a field at Newhills, 3 km from Aberdeen Airport. The aircraft suffered an engine failure while climbing out. All 11 on-board survived the forced landing.

Transport

Rail

The airport is linked to nearby Dyce railway station by the 80 Dyce Airlink shuttle bus which runs between the station, airport, heliport and Kirkhill industrial estate every 20 minutes between 06:45 and 19:00. Journey time between the airport and station is 15 minutes.

Following an increase in the frequency of train services to Dyce station, First ScotRail now provides an almost half-hourly service to and from Aberdeen during the day.

Additionally many more trains from the south have now been extended to stop at Dyce, giving the station direct links to Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and intermediate stations, as well as stations northwards on the line to Inverness.

Bus

Aberdeen Airport is served by local and express bus services operated by First Aberdeen and Stagecoach Bluebird. Chartered buses can also be booked with local operators.

Road

The airport lies on the main A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road, being only a few kilometres from the city centre itself.

External links

• Official website
• photo of eastside terminal 1970s
• photo of old control tower and RAF buildings 1970s
• photo of airport 1980s with new terminal and control tower