Newquay Airport

The airfield was opened in 1933 as a civilian facility, but was requisitioned at the outbreak of World War II and named RAF Trebelzue to support other bases in the Cornwall area. The base was renamed RAF St Mawgan 1943, after expansion. The facility was then handed to the USAAF and a number of improvements took place, including the building of a new control tower and expansion of the current runway. The airfield was put under maintenance in 1947, and reopened as a Coastal Command base in 1951.

Since 1951, aircraft squadron which have operated at the station have included 7 Sqn., 22 Sqn., 203 Sqn. (Sea King OCU, 1996–2008); 220 Sqn (later renamed 201); 228 Sqn. (later renamed 206), both Long Range Reconnaissance Squadrons; No. 42 Squadron RAF (BAe Nimrod) (disbanded 1992), No. 236 Operational Conversion Unit RAF, the Nimrod front-line conversion-to-type unit (1970-1992). In addition, Royal Air Force Regiment squadrons No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment and 2625 Sqn (Royal Auxiliary Air Force) were present. 2625 Sqn was disbanded on 1 November 2006, whilst 1 Sqn RAF Regt relocated to RAF Honington. The others relocated or closed. In 2005, RAF St Mawgan was one of the bases shortlisted to house the new Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) in 2013, but in November 2005, it was announced by Minister of State for the Armed Forces Adam Ingram that the operation would be based from Scotland. Helicopter maintenance (HMF) also ceased here in late 2006.

Flying operations at RAF St Mawgan (on the opposite side of the runway to the civil terminal) ceased in December 2008.

Looking over the ramp at some of the airlines that serve NQY in Summer 2007

In 2006 the airport introduced a £5 per passenger airport development fee, payable by all departing passengers via an ATM type machine prior to passing security.[3] This resulted in Monarch Airlines axing its route from the airport (to Málaga) and in Ryanair reducing the number of flights, though this was later restored. In 2015, it was announced that the £5 development fee would be scrapped in March 2016.

In 2008, the airport closed from 1 to 19 December, to allow time for the takeover of the airfield navigation services (i.e. Air Traffic Control) from RAF St Mawgan and to fully meet CAA standards. Following further inspections by the CAA, flights recommenced on 20 December 2008.[4]

By virtue of a Statutory Instrument issued on 22 September 2009, Newquay Airport is subject to current airport bylaws, per Section 63 of the Airports Act 1986.[5]

An extension opened in 2006 increased the terminal's size by 20%, allowing the airport to handle up to 450,000 passengers a year. In January 2008, Cornwall County Council approved plans for an expanded arrivals hall and departure lounge; a new retail outlet; a business lounge; and new airfield structures. In May 2008, the new arrivals and baggage reclaim area was opened; unlike the old arrivals hall, this allowed domestic and international flights to be processed simultaneously. It also added a gate to the departures lounge.

The expansion of the airport was criticised in 2007 by a number of environmental groups. This opposition was based not only on environmental concerns (given that the majority of flights are short-haul and to destinations that could be served by rail), but also socio-economic concerns that airport expansion would lead to a greater demand for second homes in Cornwall, adding to already inflated local house prices.[6]

The Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair pulled out of the airport in 2006, ceasing flights to London Stansted and Girona-Costa Brava Airport.[7] In November 2008, Newquay Airport released its draft master plan, outlining its plans for the airport until 2030.[8]

In July 2011, the airport's main carrier, Air Southwest, announced the end of all flights from Newquay effective 30 September 2011, leaving the airport with only three year-round scheduled routes.[9]

In May 2013, Flybe announced they would cease flying to Gatwick, leaving Newquay with year-round flights to just the Isles of Scilly and Manchester. On 2 December 2013, Flybe announced they had agreed a deal with Newquay which would secure the future of the Gatwick route until the end of October 2014, so that a public service obligation (PSO) subsidy could be finalised. Under the new deal Flybe was to operate two daily flights, with the afternoon service being dropped.[10]

Ryanair returned to the airport in April 2016, after the £5 development fee was scrapped.[11]

On 5 March 2020, Flybe ceased trading, leaving Cornwall with no year-round direct flights to London once again. British Airways announced a six-flight-per-week summer schedule to London, commencing initially in Easter 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic's impacts on aviation resulted in the service launch being postponed. The service was eventually launched on the 24th July 2020 albeit as a year-round service under a Public Service Obligation Emergency Order which lasts until February 2021. During this period, Department for Transport will run the tender process for the four-year contract which will begin in March 2021.[12]

In August 2011, the UK government announced that the airport's bid to host an enterprise zone for aerospace businesses had been successful.[13] The Aerohub enterprise zone was launched in April 2012.[14] In September 2014, the UK's Homes and Communities Agency and the European Regional Development Fund agreed to fund the construction of a £6 million Aerohub Business Park.[15] Organisations attracted to Aerohub by 2014 included Classic Air Force and the Bloodhound Supersonic Car project.[14]

From 29 March 2013, Classic Air Force has operated from the airport using a variety of aircraft,[16] including the world's oldest flying British jet aircraft and the only flying Gloster Meteor T7.[17] From April 2013 until 2017, it has also operated a museum in the 70,000 square feet (6,500 m²) Hangar 404, which was previously used to service the Hawker Siddeley Nimrods of RAF St Mawgan.[16] Some of the now-closed museum's exhibits remain elsewhere on the airfield under different ownership.

Testing of Bloodhound at speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h) was performed on the runway in 2017[18] in preparation for a 500 mph (800 km/h) test run on its new specially created race track at Hakskeen Pan, South Africa in 2019, leading to an attempt on the land speed record in the future.[19]

In September 2013, the National Aeronautical Centre (NAC) at Aberporth Airport announced it would use Newquay as its second airport for testing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).[20] The NAC said it was attracted by the length of the runway and the facilities of Aerohub. The test flights would require 3,000 square miles (7,800 km²) of segregated airspace over the sea.[21] In March 2015, the airport reported that the establishment of this segregated area had not yet been agreed with the Department for Transport, who stated that negotiations with international bodies to create an appropriate regulatory framework for UAVs were still taking place.[22]

In July 2014, Newquay was one of eight airports shortlisted by the Civil Aviation Authority as a possible site for a UK commercial spaceport.[23] The shortlist was reduced to six airports in March 2015, with Newquay still a candidate.[24] The selection process was abandoned in May 2016 after the Department for Transport announced it would be creating regulatory conditions allowing any suitable location wishing to become a spaceport.[25]

In June 2019, the UK government and Cornwall Council announced they were prepared to invest up to £20M into the airport to create a Spaceport Cornwall as a base for Virgin Orbit. The system would launch satellite carrying rockets to space from under the wing of a converted Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet by the early 2020s dependent on the business case put forward.[26] On 5 November 2019, UK Space Agency announced that it will provide £7.35M to establish Virgin Orbit operations at Spaceport Cornwall.[27]