Anglesey Airport

For military antecedents and use, see RAF Valley.

Anglesey Airport

Maes Awyr Môn

RAF Valley
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/Public
OperatorBilfinger Europa Facility Management Limited
ServesAnglesey
Gwynedd
LocationLlanfair yn Neubwll, Isle of Anglesey
Elevation AMSL37 ft / 11 m
Coordinates53°14′53″N 004°32′07″W / 53.24806°N 4.53528°W / 53.24806; -4.53528
Website[1]
Map
EGOV is located in Anglesey
EGOV
EGOV
Location of airport in Anglesey
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
01/19 1,639 5,377 Asphalt
13/31 2,290 7,513 Asphalt
Source: UK MIL AIP[1][2]

Anglesey Airport (Welsh: Maes Awyr Môn) (IATA: VLY, ICAO: EGOV) is an airport owned by the Isle of Anglesey County Council on land leased from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. The airport is situated at Llanfair-yn-Neubwll in Anglesey, Wales. The leased site is part of RAF Valley.

History

A Let L-410 at Anglesey Airport in 2016, operating the Anglesey–Cardiff route for Citywing

Plans put forward in early 2006 by the National Assembly for Wales (now the Senedd) led to a subsidised weekday air service between the airport and Cardiff Airport, 12 miles west of the Welsh capital, in the hope of improving the economy of Anglesey and North Wales in general. A twice daily service began in May 2007, with a journey time of around one hour. The route was variously operated by Links Air, Citywing, and Eastern Airways (on behalf of Flybe).[3][4] The route was suspended in March 2020 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] In June 2022, the Welsh Government announced that it would no longer subsidise the route, and service was withdrawn permanently.[6]

The passenger terminal is a single storey building consisting of a check-in desk, departure lounge and baggage handling areas as well as other visitor information areas. The terminal, completed in 2007, was designed by MAP architects and cost £1,000,000.[7] The publicly funded building contract was given to the construction company Yorkon. The building was built off site and brought to the airport when finished.

The airport's principal stakeholders are RAF Valley, the Welsh Government, the Isle of Anglesey County Council and Cardiff Airport. The airport is contract managed and operated by Bilfinger Europa Facility Management Limited, a UK subsidiary of Bilfinger, a publicly quoted enterprise on the German stock exchange.

In March 2018, flights between Anglesey Airport and Cardiff Airport were suspended due to a fatal crash of a Hawk aircraft from the Red Arrows. Domestic flights were being diverted to Hawarden Airport in Flintshire with coaches transporting passengers between Valley and Hawarden.[8]

Statistics

Passenger numbers for flights to Cardiff from Anglesey Airport
Year Destination Passengers handled Percentage Change
2007 Cardiff 8,553 Steady Airport Opens
2008 Cardiff 13,471 Increase 58%
2009 Cardiff 11,846 Decrease 12%
2010 Cardiff 7,816 Decrease 34%
2011 Cardiff 9,605 Increase 13%
2012 Cardiff 8,594 Decrease 11%
2013 Cardiff 8,540 Decrease <1%
2014 Cardiff 8,786 Increase 3%
2015 Cardiff 10,860 Increase 24%
2016 Cardiff 9,187 Decrease 15%
2017 Cardiff 13,045 Increase 42%
2018 Cardiff 14,629 Increase 12%
2019 Cardiff 13,593 Decrease 7%
2020 Cardiff 34 Decrease 100%

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority

Ground transport

The airport is located less than two miles from the A55 North Wales Expressway linking Holyhead and Chester. The airport has a car park for passengers on the airport's former scheduled flights to Cardiff. The nearest railway station is Valley. Arriva Bus services link the airport to both Valley and Holyhead.

References

  1. ^ "Airport information for EGOV" (PDF). UK Military AIP. Data current as of October 2006. Source: Ministry of Defence.
  2. ^ Airport information for EGOV at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  3. ^ Blake, ALed (23 January 2016). "Anglesey to Cardiff daily air service finds new carrier". WalesOnline. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  4. ^ Hughes, Owen (5 March 2020). "Anglesey to Cardiff airlink update as Flybe collapses". Daily Post. North Wales. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  5. ^ Crump, Eryl (25 March 2020). "Anglesey to Cardiff airlink suspended over coronavirus outbreak". Daily Post. North Wales. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Suspended flights between Ynys Mon and Cardiff will not resume". Welsh Government. 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Yorkon Completes £1m Off-Site Contract to Build Terminal for First Civilian Airport on Anglsey" (PDF). Retrieved 25 June 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Fatal Red Arrows crash inquiry continues". BBC News. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.