View source for Islay Airport

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox airport
| name                = Islay Airport
| nativename          = Port-adhair Ìle
| nativename-a        = 
| nativename-r        = 
| image               = ILY logo-01.svg
| image-width         = 150
| image2              = Islay Airport - geograph.org.uk - 3911756.jpg
| image2_size         = 250
| caption             = 
| IATA                = ILY
| ICAO                = EGPI
| type                = Public
| opened              = {{start date|1933|05|01}}
| closed              = <!-- {{end date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| owner-oper          = [[Highlands and Islands Airports|HIAL]]
| city-served         = [[Islay]]
| location            = [[Islay, Argyll and Bute]], Scotland
| elevation-f         = 56
| coordinates         = {{coord|55|41|00|N|006|15|35|W|region:GB-HLD|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map         = Scotland Argyll and Bute
| pushpin_label       = EGPI
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Scotland
| website             = {{URL|https://www.hial.co.uk/islay-airport}}
| metric-rwy          = Y
| r1-number           = 12/30
| r1-length-m         = 1,545
| r1-surface          = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]]
| r2-number           = 07/25
| r2-length-m         = 635
| r2-surface          = Asphalt
| stat-year           = 2022
| stat1-header        = Passengers
| stat1-data          = 26,268
| stat2-header        = Passenger change 21-22
| stat2-data          = {{increase}}102%
| stat3-header        = Aircraft movements
| stat3-data          = 1,397
| stat4-header        = Movements change 21-22
| stat4-data          = {{increase}}11%
| footnotes           = Sources: UK [[Aeronautical Information Publication|AIP]] at [[National Air Traffic Services|NATS]]<ref name="aip">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dblogcategory%26id%3D80%26Itemid%3D129.html |title=Islay – EGPI |access-date=29 December 2008 |archive-date=12 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712004314/http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dblogcategory%26id%3D80%26Itemid%3D129.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />Statistics from the [[Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)|UK Civil Aviation Authority]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2022/annual-2022/ | title=Annual airport data 2022 &#124; Civil Aviation Authority }}</ref>
}}

'''Islay Airport''' {{Airport codes|ILY|EGPI}} (also known as '''Glenegedale Airport''') ({{langx|gd|Port-adhair Ìle}}) is located {{convert|4.5|NM|km smi|abbr=off|lk=in}} north-northwest of [[Port Ellen]]<ref name="aip"/> on the island of [[Islay]] in [[Argyll and Bute]], off the west coast of Scotland. It is a small rural [[airport]] owned and maintained by [[Highlands and Islands Airports Limited]]. Today the airport is used for scheduled services to the Scottish mainland, and for [[air ambulance]]s.

==History==
The aerodrome was opened in May 1933, and initially services were provided from Glasgow via Campbeltown by the Midland and Scottish Air Ferries company. However, this was short-lived as the company closed down in late 1934.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Air Services to Islay and Campbeltown |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19340917/338/0008 |newspaper=The Scotsman |location= Scotland |date=17 September 1934 |access-date=24 February 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription  }}</ref>  Services were taken over by a new company, [[Northern & Scottish Airways]] who operated a De Havilland Dragon aircraft three times per week from Glasgow.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=New Scots Air Co. Glasgow, Kintyre and Islay Service to be reopened |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19341127/038/0010 |newspaper=The Scotsman |location= Scotland |date=27 November 1934 |access-date=24 February 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription  }}</ref> In 1937, the company amalgamated with Highland Airways and formed [[Scottish Airways]], who operated daily flights from Glasgow to Islay on Monday to Saturday. This service continued with minor disruptions for urgent military duties for the duration of the Second World War.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=War Service |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000728/19451107/158/0004 |newspaper=Daily Record |location= Scotland |date=7 November 1945 |access-date=24 February 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription  }}</ref>

In 1940, during the [[World War II|Second World War]], the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], [[Winston Churchill]], ordered military airfields to be constructed in the western islands of Scotland, both to defend against a [[Nazi Germany|German]] assault on the Scottish mainland and also to provide [[Surveillance aircraft|reconnaissance planes]] a base to fly missions over the Atlantic Ocean. The present Islay airport was constructed as RAF Port Ellen in 1940, and received a concrete runway in 1942. During the Second World War, over 1,500 [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) personnel were stationed at RAF Port Ellen.<ref>{{cite news | first = Robbie | last = Shaw | title = Serving the Southern Hebrides | work = Airports of the World | publisher = Key Publishing Ltd. | date = Jan–Feb 2015 | issue = 57 | pages = 80–83}}</ref>

The following units were here at some point:<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/port-ellen-glenegedale-islay/ |title=Port Ellen (Glenegedale) (Islay) |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|access-date=14 September 2022}}</ref>
* Relief Landing Ground for [[No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF]] (August 1941){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=233}}
* [[No. 48 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 304 Ferry Training Unit RAF]] (December 1942 – December 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=116}}
* [[878 Naval Air Squadron]]
* [[890 Naval Air Squadron]]

On 1 February 1947, Scottish Airways Ltd and its subsidiary company Western Isles Airways Ltd was taken over by [[British European Airways Corporation]] as part of the nationalisation of transport services under the Civil Aviation Act of 1946.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=B.E.A.C. takes over today |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19470201/104/0003 |newspaper=The Scotsman |location= Scotland |date=1 February 1947 |access-date=24 February 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription  }}</ref> In 1948, a question was raised in the House of Commons in relation to the number of staff (17) currently employed.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Commons Questions. Islay Aerodrome "Shocking Waste of Personnel" |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19480122/119/0006 |newspaper=The Scotsman |location= Scotland |date=22 January 1948 |access-date=24 February 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription  }}</ref>

On 28 September 1957, [[de Havilland Heron|de Havilland Heron 1B]] G-AOFY, while operating a flight for the Scottish Air Ambulance Service, crashed on approach to Islay, in bad weather. The three occupants, Captain T.M. Calderwood, radio officer Hugh McGinlay, and Sister Jane Kennedy from Glasgow's Southern General Hospital were killed.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Three die in 'flying lifeboat' |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19570929/077/0007 |newspaper=The People |location= Scotland |date=29 September 1957 |access-date=25 February 2023 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription  }}</ref>    One of the remaining two Herons was named ''Sister Jean Kennedy'' after the nurse; the other after [[James Young Simpson]], a Scottish pioneer in anaesthetics.<ref name="G_AOFY">{{cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19570928-0 |title=ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland DH-114 Heron 1B G-AOFY Islay-Glenegedale (ILY) |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |date=28 September 1957 |access-date=30 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606155446/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19570928-0 |archive-date=6 June 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref> This was the first crash in the history of the Scottish Air Ambulance Service.

On 29 June 1994, the [[Charles III|Prince of Wales]] made headlines when he overshot the runway while landing a [[BAe 146]] of [[No. 32 Squadron RAF|No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron]] of the RAF on the runway of the airport. Although no one was injured, the plane was badly damaged.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_/ai_n13995635 Prince gives up flying royal aircraft]</ref><ref>[http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AirSafetyandAviationPublications/MAAS/1990s/19940629RafBae146Cc2Ze700.htm Official report] [https://web.archive.org/web/20100127041124/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AirSafetyandAviationPublications/MAAS/1990s/19940629RafBae146Cc2Ze700.htm [archive.org<nowiki>]</nowiki>]</ref>

==Airlines and destinations==
<!-- Please use only independent sources. The airport and airlines itself are not independent sources. -->
{{Airport-dest-list
<!-- -->
| [[Loganair]] | [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Liu|first1=Jim|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240227-lmns24|title=Loganair NS24 Service Changes – 25FEB24|website=Aeroroutes.com|accessdate=2 November 2024|language=en-CA}}</ref>
<!-- -->
}}

==Statistics==
{|class="wikitable sortable" width= align=
|+ '''Passenger numbers at Islay Airport'''
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Rank || Airport || Year || Passengers handled || change from previous year
|-
|1 || [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]||2017|| 32,644<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2017/|title=Airport data 2017 &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> || 
|-
|1 || [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]||2018|| 32,775<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2018/|title=Airport data 2018 &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> || 
|-
|1 || [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]||2019|| 34,992<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2019/|title=Airport data 2019 &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> || 
|-
|1 || [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]||2020|| 8,907<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2020/annual-2020/|title=Airport data 2020 &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> || {{decrease}}75%
|-
|1 || [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]||2021|| 12,761<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2021/annual-2021/|title=Airport data 2021 &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> || {{increase}}43%
|-
|1 || [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]||2022|| 26,148<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2022/annual-2022/|title=Airport data 2022 &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> || {{increase}}104%
|-
|1 || [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]||2023|| 28,926<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2023/annual-2023/|title=Airport data 2023 &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> || {{increase}}10.6%
|-
|1 || [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]||2024|| 30,535<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2024/annual-2024/|title=Airport data 2024 &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref> || {{increase}}5.5%
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[RAF Kilchiaran]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R|last2=Hamlin|first2=J|last3=Halley|first3=J|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units |year=1997 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location= UK|isbn=0-85130-252-1}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category inline|Islay Airport}}
*[https://www.hial.co.uk/islay-airport/ Official website] 

{{Portalbar|Scotland|United Kingdom|Aviation}}
{{Airports in Scotland}}
{{Airports in the United Kingdom}}
{{Islay}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Airports in Scotland]]
[[Category:Highlands and Islands Airports]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1933]]
[[Category:1933 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Islay]]