Islay Airport
Islay Airport Port-adhair Ìle | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Highlands and Islands Airports Limited | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Islay | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Glenegedale, Argyll and Bute | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 56 ft / 17 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 55°41′00″N 006°15′35″W / 55.68333°N 6.25972°W | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  EGPI Location in Scotland | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2015) | |||||||||||||||
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Islay Airport (IATA: ILY, ICAO: EGPI) (also known as Glenegedale Airport) is located 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 km; 5.2 mi) north northwest of Port Ellen[1] on the island of Islay in Argyll and Bute, off the west coast of Scotland. It is a small rural airport owned and maintained by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. Today the airport is used for scheduled services to the Scottish mainland, and for air ambulances.
History
The first airports appeared in Islay in the 1930s. However, these were just grass strips. In 1940, during World War II, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill ordered military airports to be constructed in the western islands of Scotland, both to defend against a German assault on the Scottish mainland and also to provide reconnaissance planes a base to fly missions over the Atlantic Ocean. The present Islay airport was constructed in 1940, and received a concrete runway in 1942. During World War II, over 1,500 Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel were stationed at Islay Airport.[3]
On 29 June 1994, The Prince of Wales made headlines when he overshot the runway while landing a BAe 146 of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron of the RAF on the runway of the airport. No one was injured, however the plane was badly damaged.[4][5]
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Flybe operated by Loganair | Glasgow (ends 31 August 2017) |
| Hebridean Air Services | Colonsay, Oban |
| Loganair | Glasgow (begins 1 September 2017)[6] |
See also
References
- ^ a b Islay - EGPI
- ^ "PROVISIONAL CAA AIRPORT STATISTICS FOR DECEMBER 2015" (PDF). UK Civil Aviation Authority. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
- ^ Shaw, Robbie (January–February 2015). "Serving the Southern Hebrides". Airports of the World. No. 57. Key Publishing Ltd. pp. 80–83.
- ^ Prince gives up flying royal aircraft
- ^ Official report [archive.org]
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-38055208
External links
- Official website for Islay Airport
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| Regional | |
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