subject: All About Exeter Airport [print this page] All About Exeter Airport All About Exeter Airport
Exeter International Airport is located in the Clyst Honiton district of East Devon close to the city of Exeter and within the county of Devon, South West England.
Handling over 1 million passengers in 2007, it was the first year over 1 million passengers had used the airport in a single year, however passengers declined to 744,957 in 2010.
History Of Exeter Airport
The airfield was originally used as a grass field for club flying before a proper terminal was constructed in 1937 being formally opened on 30 July 1938 at a cost of about 20,000.
The War Years
AT the start of World War 1 in 1939 the landing area was increased to approx 910m north to south and 1,400m east to west in the early months of the war. Asphalt perimeter tracks and 6 hardstands for aircraft parking followed quicly and in 1941 modern, hard-surfaced runways were put down.
In 1942, the runway was extended in length again to 1,800m in a general upgrading of the terminal and facilities. In the early years, the airfield had gained 19 small, fighter-type pan hardstandings and 14 double pens. Nine concrete loops were added on the northern side of the air-field early in 1944.
The Battle Of Britain
Exeter Airport was home to the following sqaudrons:
No 213 Squadron from 18 June 1940
No 87 Squadron from 5 July 1940
No 601 Squadron from 7 September 1940
Sadly, despite extensive efforts at camouflage. Exeter attracted the Luftwaffe on a number of occasions during the early years of the conflict with a number of building destroyed.
Passenger Flights After The War
Scheduled services from Exeter to the Channel Islands began in 1952 with charter flights to various national and European locations following. A new passenger focused terminal was opened in the early 1980s plus various other improvements, including a runway extension carried out to establish Exeter as an important airport in the West Country.
RCA officially purchased the airport from Devon County Council for 60 million on 5 January 2007 and the company is backed by both the investment expertise and infrastructure development skills of Balfour Beatty, a world-class engineering, construction, services and investment business responsible for creating and caring for essential assets, utility systems and major structures.
More Information
More information can be found about Exeter Airport on its official Squidoo page.
