Benbecula Airport

Benbecula Airport (Scottish Gaelic: Port-adhair Bheinn na Faoghla) (IATA: BEB, ICAO: EGPL) is located on the island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, off the West Coast of Scotland. It is a small rural airport owned and maintained by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.

For the RAF-operated radar station, previously known as RAF Benbecula, see RRH Benbecula.
Benbecula Airport

Port-adhair Bheinn na Faoghla
Airport buildings
Summary
Airport typePrivate
OperatorHighlands and Islands Airports Limited
ServesBenbecula
LocationBalivanich
Elevation AMSL19 ft / 6 m
Coordinates57°28′52″N 007°21′46″W
WebsiteBenbecula Airport
Map
EGPL
Location in Scotland
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06/24 1,836 6,023 Asphalt
17/35 1,220 4,003 Asphalt
Statistics (2016)
Movements4,478
Passengers32,467
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

Airlines and destinations

The airport provides scheduled services to the Scottish mainland and other Hebridean islands. In so doing it provides vital transport connections for the islands of Benbecula, North Uist and South Uist, which are interlinked by causeway but are over two hours from the mainland by sea. The airport is also used by emergency air ambulance flights and by flights supporting the nearby missile test range.

AirlinesDestinations
Loganair Glasgow, InvernessA, Stornoway
Notes

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
Royal Mail Inverness,[3] Stornoway [3]


History

Early years

An airfield has existed on Benbecula since 1936 when Scottish Airways began operating to what was known as Balivanich Airfield, located on the north west corner of the island.[4]

Second World War

Between 1941 and 1942, during the Second World War, the airfield became RAF Benbecula, when it came under the control of the Royal Air Force's Coastal Command. During this period it was home to aircraft carrying out patrols in the Atlantic, protecting shipping convoys from German U-Boats.[4] Such missions were carried out by the Lockheed Hudson and latterly the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Vickers Wellington.[5]

At its peak, RAF Benbecula had several thousand troops stationed at the station and at several other sites around the islands.

The following units were based at the airfield at some point:

Post-War

The airfield later became the control centre for the nearby Hebrides Rocket Range.[4]

After the Second World War, the airfield became Benbecula Airport.

References
  1. Benbecula - EGPL
  2. "Air Passengers by Type and Nationality of Operator" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority. 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. n.a. (31 January 2017). "Loganair secures new Royal Mail Contract". BBC.
  4. "About Us - Benbecula Airport". Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  5. "Marking the 75th anniversary of Western Isles air bases". Stornoway Gazette. 27 March 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  6. Jefford 1988, p. 37.
  7. Jefford 1988, p. 65.
  8. Jefford 1988, p. 69.
  9. Jefford 1988, p. 72.
  10. "Benbecula (Balivanich)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  11. Jefford 1988, p. 85.
  12. Jefford 1988, p. 93.

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, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.


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