Forgotten airports from the golden age of British air travel

Was Rachel Reeves hoping that frequent fliers would rejoice at the news that Heathrow’s third runway is back on the agenda? In reality, of course, the announcement has been met with more of an apathetic shrug at best and active cynicism at worst.

It’s a justified reaction given the tortuous history of airport expansion in Britain in recent years. And the fact that governments of all stripes have failed to live up to their rhetoric on this front.

Alas, the third runway isn’t the only “lost” airport project from past decades. Around the country, there are airports that were once beacons of commercial air travel, only to be closed entirely or reduced to welcoming cargo aircraft only. Then there are those airports that never got off the ground in the first place…

Croydon Airport

Croydon isn’t on most travellers’ radar. But for aviation enthusiasts, this humble outer London borough will forever hold a special place in their hearts, as the home to Britain’s first-ever international airport.

Having been converted from a First World War aerodrome, the first iteration of Croydon Airport was as basic as it gets, even described by one airline executive as resembling a Wild West township. And the aircraft weren’t much better.

But from those humble roots, dreams were born. After the emergence of Britain’s first commercial airline, Imperial, Croydon’s state-of-the-art terminal complex opened in 1928, complete with departure boards, a passenger lounge and even shops.

Flying wasn’t quick (with a maximum speed of 95 miles per hour) but it was glamorous. Passengers could expect a range of different champagnes, as well as a six-course meal served by stewards in smart white jackets.

For all its splendour, Croydon would be mothballed in 1959, after its functions were usurped by aviation’s shiny new toy – otherwise known as Heathrow.

Shoreham Airport

Shoreham Airport (latterly known as Brighton City Airport) also has a starring role in aviation history, as it was the site of some of the first flights in history to take off in Britain in the years before the First World War.

Things stepped up a gear in 1936, with the opening of Shoreham’s distinctive art-deco terminal building, which remains standing to this day. While it may have had the aesthetic edge over today’s airports, it was only a tiny fraction of their size – adding to its charm.

Upon entering the terminal, passengers had a direct line of sight from the front door to the airfield itself. On the Tarmac would sit their De Havilland aircraft, waiting for them to embark.

Though a triumph of its time, Shoreham’s relevance would dwindle in the post-war years, as huge investment in roads and rail networks dented the demand for domestic flights. Despite seeing its last commercial departure in 2009, it is still used for private flights and pilot training.

Northolt Airport

When it comes to military history, no British airport can hold a candle to Northolt, the storied airbase that housed the celebrated Polish Squadron during the Battle of Britain.

But the airport also played a leading role in civilian aviation history too, notably in the post-war years. During these years, the airport served as the beating heart of Britain’s nascent aviation industry, both as a hub for the newly established British European Airways and a destination for continental carriers such as Swissair and Alitalia.

In the early 1950s, Northolt had tens of thousands of flights each year. During this time, the undisputed king of the skies was the Douglas DC-3, the legendary propeller aircraft which helped make flying a reality for much of the developed world.

Northolt’s role would decline in the years to follow, as the newly opened Heathrow became Britain’s biggest airport, though it still remains a hub for VIP and government flights.

Blackpool Airport

In the 1960s, Blackpool Airport would welcome scores of dancers and spectators from across the Continent, flying into the seaside town in time for its iconic dance competitions at the Tower Ballroom.

As Blackpool’s fortunes changed over the years, so did those of its airport. In the early 2000s, it became a hub for Jet2 and Ryanair, jetting off passengers from the windswept seaside resort to the guaranteed sunshine of Spain and Portugal.

Cheap holidays may have been thriving, but the airport itself struggled to turn a profit with the relatively low volume of flights. It remains active for private flights and charter services, but has not seen a commercial passenger flight for more than 10 years.

Manston Airport

It was the airport that made headlines in 2014 when it changed hands for the princely sum of £1. But how did this once-proud RAF base end up selling for less than a Ryanair ticket?

Despite opening with some fanfare in the 1960s, the airport struggled to establish itself as a serious rival to the likes of Heathrow and Gatwick. During the package holiday boom, it failed to attract major carriers, leaving it reliant on charter companies instead (as well as Ghana Airways, which flew direct to Accra at one point).

Its fate was sealed in the early 2000s, when it became the base of beleaguered EUjet, the failed Ryanair competitor, which folded after just two years. By the time of its sale, the airport had been running at a loss for years.

Coventry Airport

When Coventry council commenced plans for a civilian airport in 1933, could it ever have foreseen that it would end up becoming the first airport to receive an official papal visit?

Admittedly it would take almost 50 years for His Holiness John Paul II to visit, but that didn’t make the occasion any less memorable. Indeed, there were plans for Pope Benedict XVI to revive the tradition in 2010.

When it came to the earthly business of turning a profit, Coventry was less successful. Despite briefly becoming a base for TUI (under the name Thomsonfly) in the early 2000s, it was closed to commercial passenger flights in 2008.

London Air Terminals

Of all the ideas from air travel history you’d hope to see revived, the pioneering air terminals of 1950s London must be top of the list.

The two buildings (one in Kensington and one on Buckingham Palace Road) were built as remote check-in centres which would allow passengers to purchase their tickets before being taken by bus to Heathrow. Though long discontinued, the buildings still stand today.

Like silver service on long-haul flights, it’s the sort of customer-focused luxury of which the modern traveller can only dream.

Cublington Airport

It turns out that dithering over building airports isn’t just a habit of modern politicians. Indeed, the failed plans for Cublington Airport – one of London’s “never were” airports – hark back to the 1960s and Harold Wilson’s Labour government.

It was Wilson who established the Roskill Commission to explore options for expanding London’s airport capacity. But when the Commission suggested an airport at Cublington, in Buckinghamshire, the idea would inflame local Nimbys, leading to fiery protests.

After years of dithering, the plans would end up being officially sidelined by Downing Street in 1971.

Thames Estuary Airport

Newly elected London mayor Boris Johnson talked a big game when he revived old proposals for a major international airport to be built on an artificial island in the Thames Estuary.

Over the years, the plans would have different iterations, ranging from a six-runway airport just north of Whitstable to a slightly smaller proposal on the Isle of Grain.

However, all the excitement around “Boris Island” didn’t stop the idea getting a thumbs down from the government’s Airports Commission in 2014. What did the wise sages recommend instead? A third runway at Heathrow.