What is Norwich International Airport?

Norwich International Airport
IATA: NWI – ICAO: EGSH
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Omniport
Serves		Norwich
Elevation AMSL		117 ft / 36 m
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
09/27			Asphalt/Concrete
04/22			Asphalt

Norwich International Airport (IATA: NWI, ICAO: EGSH) also just Norwich Airport, is an airport 2.5 nautical miles (5.2 km) north of the city centre of Norwich, Norfolk on the edge of the city's suburbs.

Along with a long history of flights to Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam via KLM Cityhopper (formerly KLM uk), it offers flights to various destinations in the United Kingdom and Europe. Besides the commercial flights, charter helicopters also operate out of Norwich flying crews to North Sea gas rigs.

Norwich Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P723) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.

Facilities

NWI has two runways, one 1,842 m (6,043 ft) long (09/27), the other 1,285 m (4,215 ft) (04/22). It has 9 Parking stands.

Airlines and Destinations

• bmi (Aberdeen)
• Eastern Airways (Aberdeen)
• Flybe (Alicante [Ends in Winter 2007], Amsterdam, Chambery, Dublin, Edinburgh, Exeter, Geneva (Seasonal), Glasgow-International, Guernsey, Jersey, Málaga [Ends in Winter 2007], Manchester, Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
• KLM Cityhopper (Amsterdam)
• Thomsonfly (Corfu)(seasonal)

History

The first Norwich airport was set up on a former First World War aerodrome on Mousehold Heath under what is now the Heartsease housing estate. This fell into disuse in the early part of the Second World War.

RAF Horsham St Faith

Main article: RAF Horsham St Faith

The current site, known as RAF Horsham St Faith was first developed in 1939 and officially opened on 1 June 1940 as a bomber station.

In September 1942 Horsham St. Faith was made available to the United States Army Air Force for use by the Eighth Air Force. The USAAF designated the airfield as Station 123 (HF).

The airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command on 10 July when it was occupied by four Gloster Meteor Squadrons one of which. RAF Horsham St. Faith was a front-line RAF station for many years, and its squadrons participated in many post-war exercises. The station was inactivated on 1 August 1963.

Civil airport

The Royal Air Force left Horsham on 24 March 1967. Over the following two years the major part of the airfield and buildings were sold to Norwich City and Norfolk County Council, a small part being retained by the MOD. Norwich Airport Ltd under ownership of the County and City Councils developed the modern day Norwich International Airport.

Most of the World War II buildings used by the United States Army Air Force remain, although converted for a variety of purposes. Three of the five large pre-war hangars are still being used for aircraft maintenance. Two have been converted for commercial use. The control tower still exists although the top has been restored and a new tower has been built adjacent to the present main runway. Other wartime buildings now form part of the airport industrial estate (owned by the County and City Councils) and are intermingled with many newer structures.

The former RAF accommodation blocks situated towards Catton were until 1993 used by the University of East Anglia as accommodation for students, known to students as "Fifers Lane" halls these have since been demolished and the site redeveloped as housing. The remaining MOD property, formerly enlisted men's quarters, has become married quarters for nearby RAF stations.

Whilst most runways and taxi-tracks from the military airfield remain, only one runway is primarily used, east-west runway 09-27, which was extended eastwards by the RAF in 1956, to avoid take-offs and landings over built-up areas. A section of the old main runway is currently used for light aircraft.

Adjacent to the airport terminal building opened in 1988 there is a memorial display relating to the USAAF, consisting of photographs, paintings, and a plaque commemorating the American use of the airfield.

In March 2004, the City and County Councils sold 80.1% of Norwich Airport Ltd to Omniport whilst retaining the further 19.9%. Omniport has also acquired 100% of Norwich Airport Travel Ltd. Since the sale to Omniport the airport has become one of the UK hubs for budget carrier Flybe and the number of flights and destinations served have rapidly increased. In 2005 a £3.5M terminal expansion programme began.

References

• United Kingdom AIP
• Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0900913096
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
• http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present
• http://www.controltowers.co.uk/H-K/Horsham_St_Faith.htm www.controltowers.co.uk Horsham St Faith

External links

• Official site
• RAF Bomber Command History of Horsham St Faith
• 458th Bombardment Group website
• City of Norwich Aviation Museum website

•  • [ e] Airports of the United Kingdom

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