Pembrey Airport

Pembrey West Wales International Airport Maes Awyr Pen-Bre
IATA: none – ICAO: EGFP
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Winston M Thomas
Operator		Pembrey Airport
Serves		Llanelli, South/West/Mid/North Wales
Location		Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Elevation AMSL		15 ft / 5 m
Coordinates		51°42′50″N 004°18′44″W
Website		www.pembreyairport.com
Map
EGFP Location in Carmarthenshire
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
04/22	797	2,615	Concrete
Sources: UK AIP at NATS

Pembrey West Wales International Airport (ICAO: EGFP) is located 6 NM (11 km; 6.9 mi) west northwest of Llanelli (9 NM (17 km; 10 mi) south of Carmarthen) in Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, in Wales. It is the home of numerous flying schools.

Please contact the RAF range controller for slot allocation during the week days on 01554 892205 or Pembrey Airport on 01554 891534

Pembrey Airport has a CAA Ordinary License (Number P836) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorized by the licensee (Pembrey West Wales Airport Limited). Full Runway and Taxiway lighting to be installed later this year, APAPI lighting already in place on both Runway 22L and 04R. Pembrey Airport is currently undergoing its first runway extension from 805 m (2,641 ft) to 1,200 m (3,937 ft), the extension is currently asphalt and not recommended for official use, the final surface to the extension will be completed by the end of 2010/2011.

EGFP Pembrey West Wales International Airport operates 24/7 and provides fuelling facilities for the MOD, emergency services and civil commercial aircraft.

History

Construction of the airfield started in 1937 and by September 1939, the RAF's No. 2 Air Armament School was the first unit to be stationed at the airfield.

By June 1940, Fighter Command was using Pembrey as a base for the numerous fighter squadrons caught up in Britain's "finest hour...". During this period Pembrey gained honours as a Battle of Britain Airfield.

It is believed that 25 official kills were accredited to aircraft flown out of Pembrey during the war years.

Between 1941 and 1945 Pembrey was host to the RAF's Air Gunnery School, after which its activities relaxed a little and it became an air crew holding unit for war weary crews being demobbed.

Fighter Command once again took over as custodians in 1946, and remained there, (with the exception of a period from 1949 to 1952, when the RAF Regiment were based at Pembrey), until their final service days and the airfields eventual closure on the 13th July 1957.

Pembrey has been host to many Squadrons and aircraft types. The following were the main Squadrons stationed at Pembrey during its active history. Although not an extensive list, it gives an insight into the character of Pembrey during its service history:

• Nos 595/5, 92, 118. (Spitfires)
• Nos 32, 79, 316 - formed at Pembrey. (Hurricanes)
• Nos 238, 248. (Beaufighters)
• Nos 256, 307. (Bolton Paul Defiants)
• No. 233 OCU (Vampires, Tempest, Mosquito, Meteors and Hunters)

One noteworthy wartime incident was the story of Oberleutnant Arnim Faber, Adjutant of III fighter Gruppe of JG2 who, on the 23rd of June 1942 had engaged Spitfires over the south coast of Britain and on heading towards Exeter, mistook the Bristol Channel for the English Channel. Being short on fuel, he landed at Pembrey believing it to be a Luftwaffe airfield in France. The Pembrey Duty Pilot grabbed a Very pistol and ran from the control tower and jumped onto the wing of Faber's aircraft as it taxied in.

Ironically, Faber was piloting the latest enemy fighter, the Focke-Wulf 190A, a type the RAF had only ever seen flying over France. The depths of Faber's despair at providing his enemy with an intact FW190 can be gauged by the fact that he subsequently attempted to commit suicide.

As news broke of his landing in Pembrey, Fighter Command despatched pilots to photograph and return the aircraft to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. The RAF finally had an FW 190.

The runway was extended to 1,200 m (3,937 ft) in 2009.

There are plans to further lengthen the runway and lighting arrays to allow larger commercial aircraft to land.

On 18 December 2009, Isles of Scilly Skybus operated the first charter flight into the airport. The flight originated from Newquay on a 16 seater aircraft. Following an interview with the airport owner, Winston Thomas, it was revealed that he is planning to lengthen the runway even more to allow charter and scheduled flights by larger airlines including major operators to Europe and other countries

Future plans

New leisure facilities around Pembrey, such as Ffos Las racecourse and Machynys championship golf course, have placed the airport at the centre of Wales' fastest-growing tourism and leisure area. Heightened interest not only in ad hoc air services but also air transport/aerospace investment on airport land have led to suggestions that the airport's runway be extended to 2,400 m (7,874 ft) (or reclaimed from the Wales Motor Sports circuit) to allow operations by 50-seater turbo-prop passenger aircraft; small VIP corporate jets; and horse/racecar carrying freighters. There is also pressure on Pembrey Airport to accept large military aircraft such as the C130, for refuelling and tech stops.

Policy decisions by the Welsh Assembly Government are excited by the prospects and the future of Pembrey International Airport for the local town of Llanelli and for the future of Welsh aviation.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Isles of Scilly Skybus	Chartered: UK and Europe
PremiAir Aviation	Chartered: UK and Europe
Oasis Flight	Chartered: UK and Europe
VLL Helicopters	Executive chartered: UK and Europe

Pembrey Airport is also the base hub for South Western Airways.

Former operators

Other airlines that have operated at Pembrey:

• Air Wales
• Air Independence
• Air Winton (UK)

See also

• RAF Pembrey
• Court Farm, Pembrey

External links

• Official website