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Welcome to
Jerseyairport.com
“Jersey Airport strives to be a successful airport which, by
working in partnership, delivers sustainable benefits to
Jersey and creates a positive first and last impression of
the Island”
Welcome to the official website of Jersey Airport – the most
comprehensive source of travel and aviation information for
the Island of Jersey.
This website contains everything you need to know about
Jersey Airport – whether you are planning a journey through
the Island’s principal gateway, making use of our passenger
facilities and services or simply looking to do business
with us.
Our New Winter 09 schedule is now available.
Latest News
No Changes to bmibaby Jersey Services (05/11/2009)
Following the recent announcement by bmibaby of a planned
restructuring of its operations, the airline has confirmed
to Jersey Airport that are no foreseeable changes to their
Jersey services.
The Assistant Minister for Economic Developme...
for full article click here >
bmibaby adds extra winter flight from Jersey (27/10/2009)
bmibaby has announced it will add extra flights to its
winter flying programme from Jersey to East Midlands
Airport.
From 6 November 2009, the airline will operate a new Friday
service to East Midlands Airport. bmib...
for full article click here >
History of Jersey Airport
The first aeroplane to land in Jersey touched down on the
beach at West Park, on the Island’s south coast in August
1912. However, it was to be another 25 years before Jersey
had an airport on dry land!
Recognising the growing importance and popularity of air
travel, the Jersey Chamber of Commerce pushed for a
purpose-built airport and, in 1934, the States of Jersey
agreed to the purchase of privately-owned field in St Peter,
towards the west of the Island.
The new Jersey Airport was officially opened on 10 March
1937 at a total cost of £127,000. The project used a total
of 97 acres, with a 980-yard grass runway.
Jersey Airport boasted two hangars and the terminal building
itself included a central tower and two side buildings for
arrivals and departures, with a restaurant and terraces on
the second floor. Red obstruction lights were placed at the
tops of nearby high buildings and warning lights and
floodlights were positioned around the boundary.
Within a year of opening, an estimated 20,000 visitors had
flown to Jersey, many of them holidaying from mainland UK.
As well as travel opportunities, Islanders also enjoyed
daily deliveries of mail and national newspapers, speedy
access to markets for growers and an improved air-sea rescue
service, co-ordinated by Air Traffic Control. Jersey Airport
was up and running and much appreciated by the local
community.
March 1940 saw an Easter rush of visitors from the UK, which
turned out to be their last visit to the Channel Islands for
some time. In June 1940 commercial operations into the
Channel Islands were suspended and for days the airport was
run as a staging post for many of the aircraft getting out
of France. In just three days, 400 passengers were evacuated
by air before it was revealed that evacuation by boat would
be possible.
Enemy forces touched down in Jersey in July 1940 to begin
five long years of German occupation during World War Two.
However, following the liberation of the Island on 9 May
1945, Jersey Airport came to life again. In the years
immediately following the end of the War the number of
passengers flying to and from Jersey dramatically increased
and reached 113,333 in 1947. As a result, money was spent on
new telecommunication aids, a new hangar and a longer
runway.
Jersey’s unique position as a holiday island, close to
France but English speaking, with duty-free goods and
carefully graded hotels and guesthouses – made it a tourist
paradise. In 1955 over 383,000 passengers used Jersey
Airport, revealing for the first time that air travel had
become more popular than sea as a means of getting to the
Island.
During the 1950s a tarmac runway was built and as the
airport grew so did the strict legislation controlling civil
aviation tighten up, with any house or outbuilding on the
main runway approach classified as potential hazards. This
time also saw the construction of a new road from the
airport to Beaumont – known commonly as the Airport Approach
Road.
By the end of the 1950s it was revealed that Jersey Airport
contributed more than £5 million a year to the Island’s
economy.
Air arrivals continued to increase during the Sixties with
visitors now arriving from further afield. Freight services
were also improved with Jersey cattle flown out of the
Island to establish new herds overseas and produce,
including flowers, sent direct to market in huge quantities.
Jersey Airport continued to develop and expand throughout
the decade and following an extension of the runway, by 1965
jets were now able to land. Two new wings were built onto
the existing administration block in 1968, providing amongst
other facilities, a new 175-seater restaurant and bar.
The Jersey Aero Club continued to prosper and by 1964 more
than 40 local pilots had obtained their licences.
By the 1970s, Jersey Airport had become the sixth busiest
airport in Europe! The look of the airport was also changing
with new building work, which included the opening of a new
air traffic control radar room and control tower as well as
a meteorological station. Passengers also had access to a
shop on the ground floor.
Following a £1m safety plan presented to the States of
Jersey, the airport had a 6,000ft runway with a 500ft safety
area at the western area by early 1976. The number of
passengers using Jersey Airport in August 1975 was 104,085
and by 1978 a mini-price war raged with cut-price fares
encouraging people to come to Jersey. Improvements continued
with plans to build a new passenger pier.
In the 1980s the problem of noisy jet aircraft was tempered
by new developments in aircraft technology. Jet aircraft did
not need to be noisy.
In 1986 it was announced that the Channel Islands should
have a special position at the Civil Aviation Authority when
they considered new air services for Island routes.
On 21 December 1988 the Lockerbie disaster brought the issue
of airport security to the fore.
Plans to build an up-to-date and larger airport to
accommodate the increasingly growing number of arriving
passengers, continued to dominate the Nineties. In 1994
figures revealed that between £15m and £17m was needed to
redevelop the airport site. The requirement for new security
measurements following the Lockerbie disaster as well as
passengers having to wait in a large marquee when planes
were delayed by fog supported the argument for new enlarged
facilities.
A modern extension to complement the original 1937 main
building was opened in 1997, providing more space and better
facilities for departing passengers. Amongst the airlines
that made use of the new facilities was British Airways, who
have been long associated with flights to and from the
Island. In the 90s, as well as serving both Gatwick and
Heathrow, BA was also able to offer passengers direct
flights to other UK cities as well as introducing a Jersey
to Paris service in 1994. Air UK was flying to the south
coast as well as to other airports further north, whilst
Jersey European (later to become Flybe) were offering direct
flights between Jersey and Ireland.
Looking to the future - As a result of the appointment of
current Airport Director, Julian Green in 2006 a strong and
dynamic route development programme has been implemented,
which, despite the current difficult times facing the global
aviation industry, has seen significant growth with the
introduction of new routes and airlines, including low cost
carriers such as easyJet, bmibaby and jet2.com. Since 2007 a
major programme of capital works has also been undertaken,
including the resurfacing and re-profiling of the airport’s
runway (2008/2009). A new Air Traffic Control Building and
Tower is due to be operational by Spring 2010 and a major
redevelopment of the airside departures lounge is due for
completion mid-summer 2009, which will offer a more positive
lasting impression of the Island for departing passengers.
A key strategic asset, Jersey Airport has and still
continues to play a significant role in the growth of the
Island’s major industries, first tourism and then finance,
providing transport links that must be the envy of most
other islands measuring just nine miles by five. As Jersey
Airport prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2012
it will continue to pursue new opportunities and remains
‘open for business’, in a manner that reflects optimism and
flexibility.
For further information on the history of Jersey Airport and
any specific questions please email marketing@jerseyairport.com
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