Misplaced Pages

Kirkwall Airport

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from RNAS Grimsetter) Airport in Orkney, Scotland

Kirkwall Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorHIAL
ServesMainland, Orkney
LocationKirkwall, Scotland
Elevation AMSL58 ft / 18 m
Coordinates58°57′29″N 002°54′02″W / 58.95806°N 2.90056°W / 58.95806; -2.90056
WebsiteKirkwall Airport
Map
EGPA is located in Orkney IslandsEGPAEGPALocation in Orkney
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 1,430 4,692 Grooved asphalt
14/32 677 2,221 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Passengers143,093
Passenger change 2022–23Increase 7.3%
Aircraft movements11,443
Movements change 2022–23Decrease 2.7%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Kirkwall Airport (IATA: KOI, ICAO: EGPA) is the main airport serving Orkney in Scotland. It is located 2.5 NM (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) southeast of Kirkwall and is owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport is used by Loganair.

History

Foundation

The airport was built and commissioned in 1940 as Royal Air Force Grimsetter , or simply RAF Grimsetter, for the defence of the Scapa Flow naval base. It took its name from the farm of Grimsetter, which the airfield was built over. In 1943, the Royal Navy took over the airbase and it was known as Royal Naval Air Station Grimsetter, commonly referred to as RNAS Grimsetter, later commissioned as HMS Robin and used by the Fleet Air Arm. Control passed in 1948 to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and in 1986 to Highlands and Islands Airports.

Royal Air Force

The following RAF units were here at some point:

Royal Navy

On 6 July 1943, RAF Grimsetter was transferred on loan to the Admiralty and known as Royal Naval Air Station Grimsetter, (RNAS Grimsetter). On 15 August, it was commissioned as HMS Robin, as a satellite to RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk), located 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north west of Kirkwall.

The following Fleet Air Arm units were here at some point:

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled flights to and from Kirkwall:

AirlinesDestinations
Loganair Aberdeen, Belfast–City, Dundee, Eday, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, London-Heathrow, Manchester, North Ronaldsay, Papa Westray, Sanday, Stronsay, Sumburgh, Westray
Seasonal: Fair Isle, Bergen

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Royal Mail Glasgow, Sumburgh

Statistics and traffic

Annual traffic statistics

Traffic statistics at Kirkwall
Year Passengers handled Aircraft movements
No. % change No. % change
2015 160,234 Steady 10,701 Steady
2016 163,029 Increase 01.7% 11,045 Increase 03.2%
2017 177,248 Increase 09.0% 14,754 Increase 08.7%
2018 181,562 Increase 02.4% 14,771 Increase 00.1%
2019 171,603 Decrease 05.9% 14,247 Decrease 03.5%
2020 63,113 Decrease 63.2% 9,498 Decrease 33.3%
2021 85,665 Increase 40.0% 11,114 Increase 17.0%
2022 133,410 Increase 55.7% 11,758 Increase 5.8%
2023 143,093 Increase 07.3% 11,443 Decrease 02.7%

Busiest routes

Busiest routes to and from Kirkwall (2023)
Rank Airport Passengers handled Change
2022–23
1 Aberdeen 42,821 Increase 5.0%
2 Edinburgh 38,277 Increase 16.0%
3 Glasgow 17,340 Increase 10.0%
4 Sumburgh 6,171 Decrease 20.0%
5 North Ronaldsay 5,903 Increase 7.0%
6 Inverness 5,251 Decrease 9.0%
7 Westray 4,891 Increase 2.0%
8 Papa Westray 4,595 Increase 16.3%
9 Sanday 3,211 Increase 7.0%
10 Stronsay 3,033 Increase 1.0%
11 Heathrow 2,600 Steady
12 Eday 523 Increase 73.0%
13 London City 231 Steady
14 Dundee 209 Steady

Accidents and incidents

The Viscount G-BGYZ damaged 1979 at Kirkwall seen in Stuttgart, May 1979
  • 25 October 1979 – A Vickers Viscount G-BFYZ of Alidair was damaged beyond economic repair when the aircraft departed the runway after #4 propeller struck the runway. The nosewheel collapsed when the aircraft reached an intersecting runway.

Green energy

Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water was well under way in late 2020 in Orkney, where clean energy sources (wind, waves, tides) were generating excess electricity that could be used to produce hydrogen gas (H2). A plan was under way at Kirkwall Airport to add a hydrogen combustion engine system to the heating system in order to reduce the significant emissions that were created with older technology that heated buildings and water. This was part of the plan formulated by the Scottish government for the Highlands and Islands "to become the world's first net zero aviation region by 2040".

Artwork

The airport is notable for the signage on the terminal roof written in runes. The symbols spell the word 'Krimsitir' or 'Grimsetter', the name of the bay next to which the airfield is located, which was similarly the name of the former RAF base and the name of the farm upon which the airfield was built.

Notes

  1. Belfast–City service is a continuation of the Inverness service as the same flight number
  2. London Heathrow service is a continuation of the Dundee service as the same flight number
  3. Manchester service is a continuation of the Inverness service as the same flight number
  4. Bergen service is a continuation of the Inverness service as the same flight number

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Nats UK | AIP".
  2. "UK airport data". UK Civil Aviation Authority. 17 July 2024.
  3. "Kirkwall Airport: About Us". Highlands and Islands Airports. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  4. Jefford 1988, p. 58.
  5. Jefford 1988, p. 59.
  6. Jefford 1988, p. 75.
  7. ^ "Grimsetter (Kirkwall)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  8. "Grimsetter". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  9. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 365.
  10. hial.co.uk - Destinations from Kirkwall Airport retrieved 9 March 2024
  11. ^ {{cite web|url=https://orcadian.co.uk/belfast-and-manchester-added-to-kirkwalls-flight-schedule/
  12. Liu, Jim. "UK NS23 New Routes Addition Summary – 25DEC22". Aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  13. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  14. Liu, Jim. "Loganair NS24 Service Changes – 25FEB24". Aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  15. Liu, Jim. "Loganair Moves Derry / Dundee – London Service to Heathrow From May 2023". Aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  16. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  17. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  18. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  19. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  20. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  21. "Loganair relaunches Kirkwall to Fair Isle flights - ADS Advance".
  22. "Loganair secures new Royal Mail contract". BBC News. 31 January 2017.
  23. "UK airport data | UK Civil Aviation Authority". caa.co.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  24. "Annual airport data 2023 | Civil Aviation Authority".
  25. "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  26. "How hydrogen is transforming these tiny Scottish islands". BBC News. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  27. "Green hydrogen set to decarbonise airport". Hydrogen East. 20 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  28. "Kirkwall Airport, Orkney: Memories from a Neighbor".

Bibliography

  • Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.

External links

Airports of Scotland
Primary
Regional
Unscheduled
StatisticsList of busiest airports in the United Kingdom
flag Scotland portal
Airports in the United Kingdom, the British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories
London
Smaller
England
Smaller
Scotland
Smaller
Wales
Smaller
Northern Ireland
Smaller
Crown Dependencies
Smaller
Overseas Territories
StatisticsList of busiest airports in the United Kingdom
Smaller airports handle domestic, charter or private services only
United Kingdom Royal Naval Air Stations United Kingdom
current
former UK
A
B
C
D
E
F–G
H
I–K
L
M
N–P
R
S
T–Z
former overseas


Stub icon

This article about an airport in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: