Stornoway Airport Explained

Stornoway Airport
Nativename:Port-adhair Steòrnabhaigh
Image2-Width:250
Iata:SYY
Icao:EGPO
Type:Domestic
Owner-Oper:HIAL
City-Served:Stornoway, Outer Hebrides
Location:Isle of Lewis
Elevation-F:26
Elevation-M:8
Coordinates:58.2156°N -6.3311°W
Pushpin Map:Scotland Outer Hebrides
Pushpin Label:SYY
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Outer Hebrides
Website:Stornoway Airport
Metric-Rwy:Y
R1-Number:06/24[1]
R1-Length-F:3,281
R1-Length-M:1,000
R1-Surface:Asphalt
R2-Number:18/36
R2-Length-F:2315m (7,595feet)
R2-Length-M:2,315
R2-Surface:Asphalt
Stat-Year:2022
Stat1-Header:Passengers
Stat1-Data:102,331
Stat2-Header:Passenger Change 21-22
Stat2-Data:63%
Stat3-Header:Aircraft Movements (2022)
Stat3-Data:4,516
Stat4-Data:40%
Footnotes:Sources: UK AIP at NATS[2]
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[3]

Stornoway Airport (Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Port-adhair Steòrnabhaigh) is an airfield located 2NM east of the town of Stornoway[2] on the Isle of Lewis, in Scotland. The airfield was opened in 1937, and was then used mainly for military purposes. The Royal Air Force had an air base (RAF Stornoway) there during the Second World War and also from 1972 until 1998, when it was a NATO forward operating base. During the Cold War, from 1960 to 1983, the airfield was the home of 112 Signals Unit Stornoway (RAF). NATO aircraft used the airport for missions over the North Atlantic and for stopovers en route to Greenland and the United States.

Stornoway Airport is owned by HIAL, a company controlled by the Scottish Government.[4]

Nowadays the airfield is mainly used for domestic passenger services. The Royal Mail have a daily mail flight. Bristow Helicopters operate helicopters equipped for search and rescue, on behalf of His Majesty's Coastguard. There are privately owned light aircraft based at the airport.

The airport has been used for cross-wind training of large jets, including the Airbus A350.[5] It was also visited in 2008 by future President of the United States Donald Trump, using a private Boeing 727.[6]

Airlines and destinations

Cargo

Statistics

Busiest routes to and from Stornoway (2022)[7]
Rank Airport Total
passengers
Change
2021 / 22
1align='right'61,736 86.9%
2align='right'17,769 40.2%
3align='right'16,566 115.8%
4align='right'5,009 31.5%

Accident and incidents

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: EUROCONTROL - the European AIS Database: Introduction to EAD Basic - Home.
  2. http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=139&Itemid=188.html Stornoway - EGPO
  3. http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=80&pagetype=88&pageid=3&sglid=3 UK Annual Airport Statistics
  4. Web site: Highlands and Islands airports . transport.gov.scot . Transport Scotland . 8 October 2022.
  5. News: Airbus A350 in training exercise at Stornoway Airport. BBC News. 16 March 2024.
  6. News: Donald Trump pays visit to ancestral home. The Guardian. 16 March 2024.
  7. Web site: Airport Data 2022 . 21 March 2023 . UK Civil Aviation Authority . Tables 12.1(XLS) and 12.2 (XLS) . 25 March 2023.
  8. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 500 Citation I G-UESS Stornoway Airport (SYY).