History of Blackpool Airport

So how did it all begin?

Flying began at the site of Blackpool airport in 1909. Originally known as Squire's Gate, Blackpool was home to the UK's first major air show, with over 200,000 spectators. Following this, the land was bought out and used for a race track.

During the First World War, the land's use again changed as it became the site for a convalescent home, before being closed in 1924.

In 1927, an aerodrome was built on nearby Stanley Park, offering flights to the Isle of Man. The land at Squires Gate was again launched into competition, forcing the Stanley Park aerodrome to close down in 1936. This left Squires Gate to develop its commercial base for flying, but not for long: the approach of WWII meant that in 1939 the site was taken over by the Air Ministry, and underwent significant changes to accommodate large numbers of RAF hangars, runways and ammunitions stores, as well as aircraft construction and testing sites.

Squires Gate reverted to a civil airport following the war, and underwent yet more changes to make it more suitable for commercial use. By 1962, the airport had been bought out by the Blackpool Corporation, and had become a Public Limited Company in 1987 with the council owning 100% of the shares.

Further changes took place in 1995 - the original wooden terminal building was knocked down and replaced with a new £2million complex.

The most recent development came in 2004 when City Hopper started running the airport.