Islay Airport ( English Islay Airport , Galis. Port-adhair Ìle ) ( IATA : ILY , ICAO : EGPI ) (also known as Glenegedale Airport ) is about halfway between Bowmore and Port Ellen on Islay in The Inner Hebrides , in the west of Scotland . It is a small local airport owned and operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited .
| Islay Airport | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IATA : ILY - ICAO : EGPI | ||||||||||
| Information | ||||||||||
| Type of | civil | |||||||||
| A country | Great Britain | |||||||||
| Location | Argyll and Bute | |||||||||
| opening date | ||||||||||
| Operator | Highlands and Islands Airports Limited | |||||||||
| NUM height | +17 m | |||||||||
| Timezone | UTC0 | |||||||||
| Working hours | around the clock | |||||||||
| Site | Official site | |||||||||
| Runways | ||||||||||
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Content
History
The first airports appeared on Islay in the 1930s. These were grassy airports. In 1940 , during World War II , British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave orders to build military airports on the western Scottish islands, both for direct protection from Nazi Germany from attacks on Scotland, and also to prepare bases for planes flying across the Atlantic Ocean . The modern Islay airport was built in 1940 and a concrete runway appeared in 1942 . During World War II, more than 1,500 Royal Air Force troops were stationed at Islay Airport.
On June 29, 1994, a serious incident occurred when BAe 146 of the 32nd (Royal) squadron of the Air Force, whose passenger was the Prince of Wales , missed the runway on landing. There were no injuries, but the plane was badly damaged.
Airport today
Today, there are regular flights from the airport to Glasgow International Airport , as well as to Oban and Colonsay .
See also
- RAF Kilchiaran