Humberside Airport

International airport in North Lincolnshire, England

For the previous military use of this facility, see RAF Kirmington.

Humberside Airport

* IATA: HUY
* ICAO: EGNJ

Summary
Airport type| Public
Owner| Bristow Group
Operator| Humberside International Airport Ltd.
Serves| East Riding of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Kingston upon Hull
Location| Kirmington, Lincolnshire
Elevation AMSL| 121 ft / 37 m
Coordinates| 53°34′28″N 000°21′03″W﻿ / ﻿53.57444°N 0.35083°W﻿ / 53.57444; -0.35083
Website| humbersideairport.com
Map

EGNJ

Location in Lincolnshire

Runways
| Direction | Length  | Surface

|
|

m  | ft
02/20  | 2,196  | 7,205  | Asphalt & concrete
08/26  | 860  | 2,822  | Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
| Passengers| 92,465

|

Passenger change 21-22|  193.2%
Aircraft movements| 11,973
Movements change 21-22|  9.4%

Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

Humberside Airport (IATA: HUY, ICAO: EGNJ) is an international airport at Kirmington in the Borough of North Lincolnshire, England, 10 NM (19 km; 12 mi) from three large settlements: Grimsby (east), Hull (north) and Scunthorpe (west), on the A18, the latter two places reached by longer roads, in the case of Hull via the UK's longest bridge that crosses the Humber Estuary. It was owned by Manchester Airports Group (the largest UK-owned airport group) from 1999 until 1 August 2012, when it was sold to the Eastern Group of companies. North Lincolnshire Council retains a minority of shares in the Airport.[3]

## History

[edit]

The airport was previously a Royal Air Force base, RAF Kirmington, opened in 1941 during the Second World War, from which No. 166 Squadron RAF operated the Avro Lancaster. The site was abandoned after the war in 1945, and lay unused until 1974 when the local council re-opened the site as Kirmington Airport. [4]Correction: this site had Kirmington Transport cafe built there, on the left side of the road as you left Kirmington - where the runway and airport are today (2024) and was run by Thomas Andrew of 23 Castledyke West, Barton-upon-Humber in the 1960s and early 1970s until it was bought to build the airport there. When the local area was renamed Humberside following local government re-organisation in England, the name was changed to Humberside Airport. The main runway, designated 03/21 (since redesignated 02/20) was extended to its current length in 1992, allowing operation of much larger aircraft.

In 2008, MAG announced that it was conducting a review of its strategy for Humberside Airport, and all options including disposal were under consideration. Initially it announced plans to sell Humberside Airport after nine years of ownership.[5] In December 2008, MAG announced it intended to retain Humberside Airport, due to a number of investments, such as the new £1.6 million perishables hub, coupled with a surge in passenger numbers and little interest from potential bidders.[6]

MAG sold its 83.7% share of Humberside in 2012 for £2.3 million to Eastern Group to focus on the larger airports in its portfolio.[7] It was later revealed that MAG had bought the airport for almost £8 million more in 1999.[3] Bristow Helicopters sold Eastern Airways in 2019, but retained its majority share of Humberside Airport.[citation needed]

## Operations

[edit]

The airport faces competition for flights from East Midlands Airport (70 mi (110 km)), and Leeds Bradford Airport (74 mi (119 km)); all of which, at 2024, have a much wider range of scheduled passenger flights. Passengers at the airport peaked in the early to mid-2000s when the facility was used by around 500,000 per year. This fell to around 200,000 passengers in 2016.[2]

In October 2013 SAS Group began daily operations to Copenhagen, only to withdraw the service in April 2014 because of low passenger numbers.[8] However, Sun Air launched twice-weekly flights to Aalborg and Billund in April 2016, in order to support the off-shore wind industry in the Humber and Jutland locations. These flights were also suspended in December 2016.

The airport is also used to service the offshore gas storage and drilling operations for BP[9] and Centrica Storage[10] with over 5,000 air transport helicopter movements in 2016, the fourth highest in the UK.[2] On 3 January 2013 it was reported that Bond Offshore Helicopters had been awarded a contract with Perenco and would start operating flights to Perenco's platforms in the Southern North Sea. This now means that the airport has three of the biggest UK helicopter operators based at the airport.[11]

From 1 April 2015 Bristow Helicopters commenced operations from a new UK Search and Rescue base at Humberside. In October 2016 Bristow Helicopters and Bond (now Babcock) moved their offshore operations to Norwich, leaving CHC and UNI-FLY as the remaining helicopter companies based at Humberside. CHC was scheduled to commence a new contract for Ørsted (formerly DONG Energy) in April 2018, supporting North Sea wind farm construction.

Humberside has one of the highest NEQ approval levels of any airport in Europe,[12] and saw significant growth in cargo throughput from 144 tonnes in 2007 to 1,132 tonnes in 2011.[2] This was due to regular flights by Icelandair Cargo, however these ceased to operate in 2012 and cargo had reduced to 123 tonnes in 2016.[2]

Humberside International has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P739) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. It has an amount of general aviation activity, with five resident flying clubs and organisations offering fixed wing and rotary training. In May 2011, Weston Aviation opened a fixed-base operation (FBO). This will be the first dedicated FBO at the airport, where the company has also opened a regional charter sales office, to promote and develop the use of business and private aviation in Yorkshire and the Humber.

## Airlines and destinations

[edit]

The following airlines operate regular scheduled flights to and from Humberside:[13]

Airlines| Destinations

|

BH Air |  Seasonal charter: Burgas
Eastern Airways |  Aberdeen
Seasonal: Jersey, Newquay
KLM |  Amsterdam
TUI Airways |  Seasonal: Palma de Mallorca

## Statistics

[edit]

### Passengers and movements

[edit]

Humberside Airport passenger totals 2000-2022 (thousands)

The memorial to 166 squadron at the door of the modern airport terminal Number of Passengers (2000-2022)[2] Year | Number of passengers | Aircraft movements | Cargo (tonnes)

|
|
|

2000  | 447,738 | 38,894 | 130
2001  | 435,473 | 39,858 | 157
2002  | 492,433 | 42,361 | 126
2003  | 517,692 | 39,318 | 945
2004  | 531,277 | 38,455 | 752
2005  | 460,930 | 36,839 | 114
2006  | 520,956 | 37,545 | 144
2007  | 468,522 | 38,797 | 144
2008  | 427,669 | 37,758 | 168
2009  | 336,649 | 35,060 | 241
2010  | 283,191 | 32,813 | 600
2011  | 274,609 | 26,599 | 1,132
2012  | 234,142 | 25,636 | 621
2013  | 236,083 | 27,178 | 153
2014  | 239,173 | 27,647 | 129
2015  | 221,203 | 25,665 | 148
2016  | 201,650 | 22,744 | 123
2017  | 190,936  | 18,282  | 93
2018  | 192,526  | 18,759  | 121
2019  | 204,463  | 18,228  | 117
2020  | 45,273  | 10,347  | 52
2021  | 31,534  | 11,973  | 84
2022  | 92,465  | 13,103  | 74

### Routes

[edit]

Busiest routes to and from Humberside (2022)[14] Rank | Airport | Total
passengers | Change
2021 / 22

|
|
|

1 | Amsterdam | 47,843 |  731.8%
2 | Aberdeen | 10,272 |  52.8%
3 | Palma de Mallorca | 8,874 |  Resumed Route
4 | Burgas | 4,853 |  Resumed Route
5 | Newquay | 2,187 |  New Route
6 | Jersey | 2,081 |  62.6%
7 | Enontekiö | 1,318 |  79.3%
8 | Pajala | 748 |  3.9%
9 | Antalya | 719 |  New Route
10 | Doncaster/Sheffield | 526 |  New Route

## Ground transport

[edit]

Barnetby Station with "Alight here for Humberside Airport" signage

The 'Humber Flyer' by Stagecoach no longer serves Humberside Airport. Instead, Hornsby's Bus and Coach run a 2 hourly service to the town of Kirmington, while stopping within airport grounds each way (Monday-Friday).[15]

### Rail

[edit]

The airport lies close to the South Humberside Main Line, which runs between Doncaster and the coast at Grimsby and Cleethorpes, running a few hundred metres to the north of the terminal. There is no stop on the line at this point and passengers must alight at the small, rural and unmanned Barnetby railway station some 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) to the west of the airport, or proceed to Grimsby or Hull and use the bus service. As of May 2022, a bus service operates from Scunthorpe calling at the surrounding villages (including Barnetby) and terminates at nearby Kirmington. The bus service runs on a two-hourly frequency and calls at Humberside Airport. However, the bus does not call at Barnetby railway station, so passengers must walk a short distance to the nearby bus stop on Kings Road.

## Other facilities

[edit]

The airline Eastern Airways has its head office in the Schiphol House on the airport property.[16] Links Air was based at the airport, but moved to Doncaster Sheffield Airport in 2014.

BAE Systems opened an aircraft maintenance academy at the airport in the autumn of 2015. It is a partnership with the Resource Group and is known as the R J Mitchell Academy, after the designer of the Spitfire aircraft.

In 2010 a temporary hotel was erected for the use by the gas and oil rig workers. However, this operation is not designed or licensed to operate as accommodation for normal passengers.[17][18] This is a temporary structure run by Nightel,[19] a locally based niche business. There was a plan to build a permanent structure in the next five years once demand for the facility had been confirmed.[20] A new 100 bedroom hotel, operating under the Hampton by Hilton brand, opened next to Nightel in July 2017.

## Accidents and incidents

[edit]

9 October 2013 – The passenger of Cessna 172 G-BCYR made a successful emergency landing at Humberside following the death of its pilot in flight. The passenger had no flying experience and was talked down by flying instructors. He had been on a local flight from Sandtoft Airfield, Lincolnshire when the pilot died.[21] The incident formed the basis of a documentary broadcast in the United Kingdom by Channel 4 on 27 March 2014.[22]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Humberside - EGNJ". Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
2. ^ a b c d e f "UK airport data". UK Civil Aviation Authority. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
3. ^ a b "New Humberside Airport owners pledge to put local needs first". Grimsby Telegraph. 3 August 2012. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
4. ^ "RAF History, Kirmington". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 9 May 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
5. ^ "Humberside Airport to be sold off". BBC News. 25 April 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
6. ^ "MAG cancels Humberside Airport sale plan". Manchester Evening News. 16 December 2008. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
7. ^ "Humberside Airport sold by Manchester Airports Group". BBC News. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
8. ^ "Flights from Humberside to Copenhagen scrapped". ITV news. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
9. ^ "Asset Portfolio - The Ravenspurn North Field" (PDF). BP. Retrieved 11 April 2012.[permanent dead link]
10. ^ "About Us - Key Facts". Centrica Storage. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
11. ^ "Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd wins contract with Perenco Oil and Gas | This is Hull and East Riding". Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
12. ^ "Weston Cargo Aircraft Charter". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
13. ^ "Destinations : Humberside Airport". Humbersideairport.com. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
14. ^ "Airport Data 2022". UK Civil Aviation Authority. 21 March 2023. Tables 12.1 (XLS) and 12.2 (XLS). Retrieved 25 March 2023.
15. ^ "68 Wolds Villager" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
16. ^ "Home page". Eastern Airways. Retrieved 29 December 2011. "Head Office Eastern Airways Schiphol House Humberside Airport Kirmington DN39 6YH"
17. ^ "New hotel at Humberside Airport about to get off the ground". Grimsby Telegraph. 14 July 2010. Archived from the original on 12 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013. "It is the first on-site hotel at the airport and is designed solely for offshore oil and gas workers and other business personnel."
18. ^ "Nightel". Humberside Airport. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
19. ^ Nightel
20. ^ "Cueing up to stay at airport's hotel". Hull Daily Mail. 30 June 2010. Archived from the original on 12 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013. "Mr Green said: "The hotel is a temporary building because we need to be able to prove the market is there. ... We will get off the ground with this building then build a fully operative hotel when the time when necessary." 'Cueing' is exactly what the newspaper said
21. ^ Thornton, Lucy; Bagot, Martin (9 October 2013). "Humberside Airport hero revealed: Modest pensioner who landed plane after pilot collapsed says I was 'just holding the stick'". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
22. ^ Mayday: The passenger who landed a plane. Channel 4. 27 March 2014. Event occurs at 21:00.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Humberside Airport at Wikimedia Commons

* Official website

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