Kirkwall Airport

Kirkwall Airport (IATA: KOI, ICAO: EGPA) (Scottish Gaelic: Port-adhair Bhaile na h-Eaglais) is the main airport serving Orkney in Scotland. It is located 2.5 NM (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) southeast of Kirkwall[1] and is owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport is used by Loganair.

Kirkwall Airport

Port-adhair Bhaile na h-Eaglais
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorHIAL
ServesMainland, Orkney
LocationKirkwall
Hub forLoganair
Elevation AMSL58 ft / 18 m
Coordinates58°57′29″N 002°54′02″W
WebsiteKirkwall Airport
Map
EGPA
Location in Orkney
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 1,428 4,685 Grooved asphalt
14/32 680 2,231 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Passengers133,410
Passenger change 2021–22 56%
Aircraft movements9,876
Movements change 2021–22 18%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

History

Foundation

The airport was built and commissioned in 1940 as RAF Grimsetter for the defence of the Scapa Flow naval base. In 1943, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm took over, as RNAS Grimsetter then HMS Robin. Control passed in 1948 to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and in 1986 to Highlands and Islands Airports.[3]

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),[8] located 1 mi (1.6 km) to the north west of Kirkwall.

The following Fleet Air Arm units were here at some point:[9]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

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

AirlinesDestinations
Loganair[10] Aberdeen, Dundee, Eday,[11] Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, London–Heathrow,[lower-alpha 1] North Ronaldsay,[12] Papa Westray, [13] Sanday, [14] Stronsay, [15] Sumburgh, Westray[16]
Seasonal: Fair Isle[17]

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
Royal Mail[18] Glasgow, Sumburgh

Statistics and traffic

Annual traffic statistics
Annual passenger traffic at KOI airport. See Wikidata query.
Traffic statistics at Kirkwall[19][20]
Year Passengers handled Aircraft movements
No.% changeNo.% change
2015 160,234 10,701
2016 163,029 01.7% 11,045 03.2%
2017 177,248 09.0% 14,754 08.7%
2018 181,562 02.4% 14,771 00.1%
2019 171,603 05.9% 14,247 03.5%
2020 63,113 63.2% 9,498 33.3%
2021 85,665 35.7% 9,574 17.0%
2022 133,410 56.0% 9,876 18.0%
2023 143,093 07.0% 10,320 04.0%

Busiest routes
Busiest routes to and from Kirkwall (2023)[21]
Rank Airport Passengers handled Change
2022–23
1 Aberdeen 42,821 5.0%
2 Edinburgh 38,277 16.0%
3 Glasgow 17,340 10.0%
4 Sumburgh 6,171 20.0%
5 North Ronaldsay 5,903 7.0%
6 Inverness 5,251 9.0%
7 Westray 4,891 2.0%
8 Papa Westray 4,595 16.3%
9 Sanday 3,211 7.0%
10 Stronsay 3,033 1.0%
11 Heathrow 2,600
12 Eday 523 73.0%
13 London City 231
14 Dundee 209

Accidents and incidents
  • 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.[22]

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).[23] 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".[24]

Artwork

The airport is notable for the signage on the terminal roof written in runes. The symbols spell the word 'Krimsitir' or 'Grimsetter'[25] , the name of the bay next to which the airfield is located, which was similarly the name of the former RAF base.

Notes
  1. London–Heathrow service is a continuation of the Dundee service as the same flight number

References

Citations
  1. "Kirkwall – EGPA". Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  2. "UK airport data". UK Civil Aviation Authority. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  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. "R.N.A.S. 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. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  12. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  13. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  14. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  15. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  16. https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/T/internal-air-services.htm
  17. https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/loganair-relaunches-kirkwall-to-fair-isle-flights.html
  18. "Loganair secures new Royal Mail contract". BBC News. 31 January 2017.
  19. "Airport data 2020 | UK Civil Aviation Authority". caa.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  20. "Annual airport data 2023". UK Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  21. "Annual airport data 2023 | Civil Aviation Authority".
  22. "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  23. "How hydrogen is transforming these tiny Scottish islands". BBC News. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  24. "Green hydrogen set to decarbonise airport". Hydrogen East. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  25. https://www.orkneyology.com/kirkwall-airport.html

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.


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