Blackpool Airport

Blackpool Airport
IATA: BLK ICAO: EGNH
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Blackpool Council
Operator	Blackpool Airport Operations Ltd.
Serves	Blackpool
Location	St Annes-on-the-Sea, Lancashire
Elevation AMSL	34 ft / 10 m
Coordinates	53°46′18″N 003°01′43″W / 53.77167°N 3.02861°W / 53.77167; -3.02861
Website	www.blackpoolairport.com
Map
EGNH Location in Lancashire Show map of Lancashire EGNH Location in Fylde Borough Show map of the Borough of Fylde EGNH Location relative to Blackpool Show map of Blackpool
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 10/28 1,868 6,129 Asphalt 13/31 998 3,274 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Aircraft Movements 37,259 Movements change 21-22 5.8%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1] Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority[2]

Blackpool Airport (IATA: BLK, ICAO: EGNH) is an airport on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport and Blackpool International Airport.

Ownership of the airport has changed a number of times over the years. The airport was wholly owned by Blackpool Borough Council until 2004, when it was sold to a consortium led by Wolverhampton Airport operators City Hopper Ltd (CHAL),^[3] who operated it until May 2008 when Balfour Beatty purchased MAR Property's 95% stake.^[4] Blackpool Borough Council retained 5%.^[5] During 2014 Balfour Beatty claimed to be looking for a buyer for the airport, and then after just one month announced that it was to close the Airport. On 15 October 2014, the airport's terminal and Air Traffic Control provision was closed, with the last scheduled flights to Dublin and the Isle of Man leaving in the late afternoon. In November 2014, the former company formed a new company, called Squires Gate Airport Operations Ltd, and the airport reopened once again in December 2014 for non-commercial operations.

Executive flights are operated by Hangar 3 Blackpool Ltd, which offer access to a private aircraft hangar and private aircraft management as well as a flight briefing room and lounge facilities. NHV Helicopters operate helicopter services to the offshore oil and gas facilities in the Irish Sea, using two Agusta Westland helicopters from a purpose-built helicopter terminal facility. Blackpool Airport is also home to one of three Eurocopter EC135 helicopters operated by the North West Air Ambulance service; the other two helicopters operate from Manchester Barton and are regular visitors to Blackpool. UK Aviation Services (formerly J-Max Air Services) specialise in the maintenance and repair of corporate and commercially owned helicopters. The company holds EASA Part 145 approvals for various Bell, Leonardo, Sikorsky, Airbus, Robinson, Guimbal and MD helicopters.^[6] There are many other companies situated on the airfield which offer flying lessons, training, private aircraft hire and maintenance facilities.

Blackpool Airport Limited has a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P724) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. Passenger numbers peaked in 2007, with over 550,000 passing through the airport, but had fallen to 235,238 in 2012. In 2014, the last year of commercial operations, the airport handled 223,372 passengers, a drop of 15% compared to the 2013 stats; this is due to the stats running from 1 January until the closure of the airport on 15 October.^[7]

The airport is served by Squires Gate railway station.