Newquay Cornwall Airport is the main commercial
airportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
for
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
,
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, located at Mawgan in Pydar northeast of
NewquayNewquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port on the north Atlantic coast of Cornwall, Great Britain. It is bounded to the west by the River Gannel and its associated salt marsh, and in the east by the Porth Valley. The town has been expanding inland since it was founded...
on Cornwall's north coast. Its runway was previously operated by RAF St Mawgan before the runway was handed over in December 2008. The airport is located close to attractions such as
The Eden ProjectThe Eden Project is a visitor attraction in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
, and
Tate St IvesTate St Ives is an art gallery in St Ives, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, exhibiting work by modern British artists, including work of the St Ives School. The three story building, designed by architects Evans and Shaleff, lies on the site of the old gas works overlooking Porthmeor Beach. It...
. It is also close to the city of
TruroTruro is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population of 20,920. It is the only city in the county, and the most southerly city in Great Britain...
.
Newquay has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
The runway is able to take the very largest and fastest of civil and military aircraft, having been built and maintained for decades as a
United States Army Air ForcesThe United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. It was a component of the United States Army, divided functionally by executive order in 1942 into three autonomous forces: the Army Ground Forces, the...
(USAAF) strategic nuclear bomber base.
Newquay Cornwall Airport is the main commercial
airportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
for
CornwallCornwall is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the...
,
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, located at Mawgan in Pydar northeast of
NewquayNewquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port on the north Atlantic coast of Cornwall, Great Britain. It is bounded to the west by the River Gannel and its associated salt marsh, and in the east by the Porth Valley. The town has been expanding inland since it was founded...
on Cornwall's north coast. Its runway was previously operated by RAF St Mawgan before the runway was handed over in December 2008. The airport is located close to attractions such as
The Eden ProjectThe Eden Project is a visitor attraction in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
, and
Tate St IvesTate St Ives is an art gallery in St Ives, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, exhibiting work by modern British artists, including work of the St Ives School. The three story building, designed by architects Evans and Shaleff, lies on the site of the old gas works overlooking Porthmeor Beach. It...
. It is also close to the city of
TruroTruro is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population of 20,920. It is the only city in the county, and the most southerly city in Great Britain...
.
Newquay has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
The runway is able to take the very largest and fastest of civil and military aircraft, having been built and maintained for decades as a
United States Army Air ForcesThe United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. It was a component of the United States Army, divided functionally by executive order in 1942 into three autonomous forces: the Army Ground Forces, the...
(USAAF) strategic nuclear bomber base. With the end of the
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
and changes in American political priorities, the Americans will be pulling out of all involvement with the base by the end of 2009. The last RAF flying squadron based at St Mawgan was
203(R) SquadronNo. 203 Squadron RAF was originally formed as No. 3 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service. It was renumbered No. 203 when the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918.-First World War:...
which operated as the Sea King Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) and has now moved to
RAF ValleyRAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, less formally known as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk....
in Wales.
British governmentHer Majesty's Government is the government of the United Kingdom. Under the Constitution of the United Kingdom, executive authority notionally lies with the monarch but is exercised in practice by her ministers...
policies and resources alone could no longer sustain the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
(RAF) involvement, but Cornwall has been left with a well-equipped facility, with the runway capable of handling aircraft such as the
Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
and
Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a widebody commercial airliner, often referred to by the nickname "Jumbo Jet". It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first widebody ever produced...
.
Future expansion of the airport
The new
terminalAn airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from airplanes....
extension has increased the terminal size by 20%, and was opened in 2006. This means the airport can handle as many as 450,000 passengers a year. The airport is continuing to grow, due to popularity and increased flights, now known to be one of the fastest growing
regional facilitiesSahiwal Airport is a new regional airport in the vicinity of Sahiwal, Pakistan.The airport is still under construction. It is located on Pakpattan road, Sahiwal. Like any other big city, the airport has been located in a place to save the natural beauty of Sahiwal. Its location will make sure that...
in the UK. In January 2008,
Cornwall County CouncilCornwall Council is the unitary authority for Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The council has a tradition of large groups of independents, having been controlled by independents in the 1970s and 1980s....
approved plans for an expanded arrivals hall and departure lounge; a new retail outlet; a business lounge and new airfield structures CAA, which were needed to gain the civil license. In May 2008, the new arrivals and
baggage reclaimThe baggage claim area is an airport terminology that describes the area of an airport terminal where one claims checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight...
area was opened; now allowing both domestic and international flights to simultaneously be processed unlike the old arrivals hall. This also added a
gateA gate in aviation is a section at an airport terminal for transferring passengers and airline crews to an aircraft.Passengers embark or disembark an aircraft through one of these methods:* Jetway bridges...
to the departures lounge.
The expansion of the airport has been criticised by a number of
environmental groupsThe environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green movements, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
. This opposition is based not only on environmental concerns (given that the majority of flights are
short-haulIn aviation, the flight length is defined as the time airborne during a flight.- Domestic :A short-haul domestic flight is commonly categorized into being no longer than 1.5 hours in length, meaning that all domestic flights within a country such as the United Kingdom are short-haul...
and to destinations that could be served by rail), but also
socio-economicSocioeconomics or socio-economics is the study of the relationship between economic activity and social life. The field is often considered multidisciplinary, using theories and methods from sociology, economics, history, psychology, and many others. It has emerged as a separate field of study in...
concerns that airport expansion will lead to a greater demand for second homes in Cornwall, adding to already inflated local house prices.
In November 2008, amidst the airport troubles, Newquay Airport released their draft master plan; outlying their plans for the airport until 2030.
History of the airfield and the RAF withdrawal
The airfield was originally opened in 1933 as a civilian facility, but was requisitioned at the outbreak of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and named RAF Trebelzue to support other bases in the Cornwall area. The base was then renamed RAF St Mawgan 1943, after expansion. The facility was then handed to the USAAF where a number of improvements took place, including the building of a new
control towerA control tower, or more specifically an air traffic control tower, is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport...
and expansion of the current runway. The airfield was then put under maintenance in 1947, and reopened as a
Coastal CommandRAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force. The service came to prominence during the Second World War. It defended the United Kingdom from naval threats and countered them by air. Coastal Command was often referred to as the "Cinderella Service" as a result of the comments made...
base in 1951. Since 1951, the base has seen various squadrons based; including
22 Sqn.No. 22 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Sea King HAR.3 and HAR.3A at four stations in the southern of the United Kingdom.-History:...
,
203 Sqn.No. 203 Squadron RAF was originally formed as No. 3 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service. It was renumbered No. 203 when the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918.-First World War:...
220 Sqn. (later renamed 201), 228 Sqn. (later renamed 206), both Long Range Reconnaissance Squadrons, 42 Sqn., 7 Sqn.,
2625 Sqn (
Royal Auxiliary Air ForceThe Royal Auxiliary Air Force is the volunteer active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service. It consists of paid volunteers who give up some of their weekends, evenings and holidays to train at one of a number of...
) and
1 Sqn.No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment is a field squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. Its mission is protection of RAF bases from ground attack. It is currently based at RAF Honington.- History :...
(
RAF RegimentThe Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence Corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 29 week trainee gunner course its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and ensure...
) - the latter two have since been disbanded, with the others relocated or closed. In 2005, RAF St Mawgan was one of the bases shortlisted to house the new
Joint Combat AircraftThe Joint Combat Aircraft is the official designation of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence used for the F-35 Lightning II, formerly the Joint Strike Fighter, and the result of the Joint Strike Fighter Program.-Programme history:...
(JCA) in 2013, but in November 2005, it was announced by
Minister of State for the Armed ForcesThe Minister of State for the Armed Forces is a ministerial position, subordinate to the Secretary of State for Defence, in the government of the United Kingdom. The current incumbent is Bill Rammell MP...
Adam IngramAdam Paterson Ingram is a British politician, and Member of Parliament for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow. He is a member of the Labour Party.-Early life:...
, that the operation would be based from Scotland. Helicopter maintenance (HMF) also ceased here in late 2006.
The flying operations at the RAF St Mawgan, (on the opposite side of the runway to the civil terminal) ceased in December 2008.
Transition to fully civilian airport
In late 2008 the airport closed for the period from 1 December until 19 December. This was to allow extra time for the take over the airfield navigation services (i.e.
Air Traffic ControlAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
/Fire Services) from RAF St Mawgan and to fully meet CAA standards. Following further inspections by the CAA, flights recommenced on 20 December 2008.
By virtue a recent Statutory Instrument issued on 22nd September 2009, Newquay Airport will from the coming in force of this instrument on 1st November 2009 be subject to current airport byelaws, as per Section 63 of the Airports Act 1986
Passenger fee
In 2006 the airport introduced a £5 per passenger airport development fee, payable by all departing passengers via an
ATMAn automated teller machine is a computerized telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public space without the need for a human clerk or bank teller...
type machine prior to passing security. This resulted in
Monarch AirlinesMonarch Airlines is a British charter and scheduled airline based in Luton, England. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest charter airlines, operating to Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, India and Africa, serving mainly leisure destinations. It also operates scheduled flights to many ...
axing its route from the airport (to
MálagaMálaga Airport , also known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the main airport for the Costa del Sol of Spain. It is southwest of Málaga and north of Torremolinos. The airport has flight connections to over 60 countries worldwide, and 12,813,764 passengers passed through it in 2008. The airport...
) and
Ryanair
reducing the number of flights, though this was later restored.
Airlines and destinations
External links