Exeter Airport , formerly ''Exeter International Airport'', is an
international airport located at
Clyst Honiton in
East Devon
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council has been based in Honiton since February 2019, and the largest town is Exmouth (with a population of 34,432 at the time of the 2011 census).
The district was formed ...
, close to the city of
Exeter and within the county of
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
,
South West England
South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities ...
. Exeter has a
CAA
CAA may refer to:
Law
* Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India
** Citizenship Amendment Act protests, Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
* Copyright transfer agreement, Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to ...
Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P759) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. The airport offers both scheduled and holiday charter flights within the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
In 2007, the airport handled over 1 million passengers per year for the first time, although passenger throughput subsequently declined, recovering to 931,000 passengers in 2018.
In 2019, passenger numbers once again passed the 1 million mark, due in part to Ryanair operating several new flights to/from the airport. Prior to its collapse in 2020, the airline
Flybe
Flybe (pronounced ), styled as flybe, is a British airline based at Birmingham Airport, England.
History
The airline traces its history back to Jersey European Airways, which was set up in 1979 following the merger of Intra Airways and Expres ...
accounted for over 80% of the airport's passenger numbers. Passenger numbers declined sharply to 148,000 in 2020.
Location
Exeter Airport is located east of the city of Exeter and is approximately west south west of London. To the south, it is connected by the A30 dual carriageway which can be accessed from the east and the M5 in the west, just away. The M5 enables links to Bristol and the Midlands. There is no railway station at the airport. The closest,
Cranbrook, is miles away by road. There is also a bus link to
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids is the principal railway station serving the city of Exeter in Devon, England. It is from the zero point at on the line through Bristol which continues to Plymouth and Penzance. It is also served by an alternative route to ...
.
History
Exeter Airport was situated on land acquired by Exeter Corporation by compulsory purchase. It was leased and operated by
Straight Corporation who also set up the Exeter Aero Club. The airfield officially opened on 31 May 1937 and operated from a "tented" terminal before the permanent buildings were complete.
Jersey Airways
Jersey Airways was an airline that operated air services to and from the Channel Islands from 1933 until 1947, when it became part of British European Airways.
History
Jersey Airways Limited was formed by Walter Thurgood on 9 December 1933. ...
immediately inaugurated a summer service of eight flights per week from Jersey in
de Havilland DH.84 Dragons.
Railway Air Services
Railway Air Services (RAS) was a British airline formed in March 1934 by the Big Four railway companies (the GWR, LMS, LNER and SR) and Imperial Airways. The airline was a domestic airline operating routes within the United Kingdom linking up ...
ran connecting flights on to Plymouth and Bristol.
Wartime use
![RAF Exeter 24 Mar 1944 Airphoto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/RAF_Exeter_24_Mar_1944_Airphoto.jpg)
In World War II, RAF Exeter was an important
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Britai ...
airfield during the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
. RAF Exeter was used by the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF)
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...
as a
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
troop transport base with
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
transports dropping paratroops near
Carentan
Carentan () is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France, with a population of about 6,000. It is a former commune in the Manche department. On 1 January 2016, it was merg ...
to land on the
Normandy Beachhead. It was known as USAAF Station AAF-463.
Two brass plaques on the wall near the airport's observation lounge commemorate the activities of 3 squadrons of the
Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain
The Polish Air Forces ( pl, Polskie Siły Powietrzne) was the name of the Polish Air Forces formed in France and the United Kingdom during World War II. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the Allies were experienced veterans of t ...
that were based at Exeter during World War II, and commend their actions in defence of the city of Exeter.
Battle of Britain
RAF Exeter was home to the following Squadrons of No 10 Group during the Battle of Britain:
* No. 213 Squadron from 18 June 1940
* No. 87 Squadron from 5 July 1940
*
No. 601 Squadron from 7 September 1940
Despite efforts at camouflage, including painting the runways, Exeter attracted the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
and administrative and technical buildings were destroyed.
USAAF use
Exeter met the requirement of basing USAAF troop carrier groups close to where units of the
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
were located and within reasonable range of the expected area of operations.
=440th Troop Carrier Group
=
![C-47s-exeter-dday](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/C-47s-exeter-dday.jpg)
The
440th Troop Carrier Group 44 may refer to:
* 44 (number)
* one of the years 44 BC, AD 44, 1944, 2044
Military
*44M Tas, a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II
*44M Tas Rohamlöveg, a Hungarian tank destroyer design of World War II, derived from the 44M Tas t ...
arrived on 15 April 1944, with over 70 C-47/C-53 Skytrain aircraft. There was insufficient hardstandings to accommodate all the aircraft so many had to be parked on the turf, some areas being supported by tarmac. The 440th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 50th Troop Carrier Wing,
IX Troop Carrier Command
The IX Troop Carrier Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946. As a component command of the Ninth ...
. The 98th TCS remained at Exeter until 7 August, when it began operating from
RAF Ramsbury
Royal Air Force Ramsbury or more simply RAF Ramsbury is a former Royal Air Force station, east-northeast of Marlborough, Wiltshire, England.
Opened in 1942 to the south of Ramsbury village, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United ...
. On 11 September, the headquarters of the 440th TCG was established at the group's new base at
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
, France (ALG A-62D), and the last of the air echelon left Exeter two days later.
Postwar use
Walruses
The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the fami ...
of an RAF air-sea rescue flight were the next tenants and these were joined by a
glider
Glider may refer to:
Aircraft and transport Aircraft
* Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight
** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...
training unit early in 1945.
Post-war, Exeter was reclaimed by Fighter Command and a French
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
squadron, No. 329, which came and stayed until November 1945.
Meteors
A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space.
Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as mic ...
and
Mosquitos
Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "litt ...
made a brief appearance the following spring. No. 691 Squadron's target-towing
Vultee A-31 Vengeances, which had been present for more than a year, proved to be the last RAF flying unit of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
period based at Exeter. When No. 691 Squadron departed in the summer of 1946, the station was made available for civil use, being officially transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1 January 1947, although there was still some reserve RAF activity until the 1950s.
Scheduled services to the
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
began in 1952 and charter flights to various locations followed. A new terminal building was opened in the early 1980s and various other improvements, including a runway extension, were carried out over following years to establish Exeter as an important airport in the
West Country
The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Gloucesters ...
. Exeter was a joint RAF/Civil airfield in the 1960s.
On 5 January 2007, a majority share of the airport was sold by
Devon County Council
Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. Based in the city of Exeter, the council covers the non-metropolitan county area of Devon. Members of the council (councillors) are elected every four years to ...
to Regional and City Airports Ltd, a consortium led by construction firm
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc () is an international infrastructure group based in the United Kingdom with capabilities in construction services, support services and infrastructure investments. A constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, Balfour Beatty works ac ...
. On 26 June 2013, the airport was bought by the Patriot Aerospace division of
Rigby Group
The Rigby Group is the parent company of several privately owned businesses operating across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
In 2013 the company was ranked 13th in the ''Sunday Times''’ Top Track 100 listing of the UK’s fastest gro ...
, which also owns
Coventry Airport
Coventry Airport is located south-southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England. The airport is operated and licensed by Coventry Airport Limited. Its CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P902) allows flights ...
.
In August 2016, Exeter Airport recorded their highest passenger throughput in a single month since September 2008, with 100,374 passengers passing through its terminal. New services to Glasgow and the first route to be supported by the new Government Regional Air Connectivity fund to Norwich, contributed to a 19% increase in passenger numbers during the month of August. During 2018, the runway was resurfaced and energy-efficient LED lighting installed.
In 2019, the airport was ranked fourth in the UK by ''
Which?
''Which?'' is a United Kingdom brand name that promotes informed consumer choice in the purchase of goods and services by testing products, highlighting inferior products or services, raising awareness of consumer rights and offering independen ...
'' magazine of 30 airports for customer satisfaction, with a score of 73%.
Accidents
On 19 January 2021, a
West Atlantic
West Atlantic is a holding company for two European cargo airlines, West Air Sweden and West Atlantic UK, with its head office in Malmö, Sweden. West Atlantic employ some 650 staff and operate a fleet of 22 aircraft. The airline specializes in ...
Boeing 737-400
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
freighter having just performed flight NPT05L from East Midlands Airport made a very
hard landing
A hard landing occurs when an aircraft or spacecraft hits the ground with a greater vertical speed and force than in a normal landing.
Landing is the final phase in flight, in which the aircraft returns to the ground. The average vertical sp ...
at Exeter Airport, causing multiple creases in the
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
. The aircraft was
written off
A write-off is a reduction of the recognized value of something. In accounting, this is a recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset. In income tax statements, this is a reduction of taxable income, as a recognition of certain expenses ...
.
Airlines and destinations
The following airlines operate regular scheduled, seasonal, and seasonal charter flights to and from Exeter:
Other users
* Corporate aviation services including a private lounge are provided by XLR Executive Jet Centre
*There is one flight training organisation based at the airport: Aviation South West, which offers a range of training from the Private Pilot Licence to the Commercial Pilots Licence and Instrument Rating.
*Dublin Aerospace operates the Exeter Aerospace hangar which provides base maintenance services on multiple aircraft, such as: ATR 42 family; Bombardier DHC - 8 Family; & Embraer EJR 170 & 190 Series aircraft.
* Iscavia Ltd is based in Hangar 49, on the North-Side of Exeter Airport and provides aircraft maintenance, avionics, airworthiness certification, hangarage, aircraft parts, help and advice.
*
Devon Air Ambulance
The Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) is a charity providing emergency medical services through the provision of two helicopter-based air ambulances and two critical care cars, which cover the county of Devon in South West England.
The helicop ...
and
National Police Air Service
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) is a police aviation service that provides centralised air support to the 43
territorial police forces in England and Wales, as well as the three special police forces serving that area. It replaced the pr ...
(NPAS) share a purpose built facility on the northern side of the airfield, having vacated the police headquarters at Middlemoor, Exeter in 2014.
Statistics
![Exeter_Airport_from_the_air_-_geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Exeter_Airport_from_the_air_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1388180.jpg)
The 25 busiest routes by air passenger numbers are listed below. many of these routes, which were operated by Flybe, are no longer in operation.
See also
*
List of Royal Air Force stations
The Royal Air Force (RAF) operates several stations throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. This includes front-line and training air bases, support, administrative and training stations with no flying activity, unmanned airfields used fo ...
*
List of former Royal Air Force stations
This list of former RAF stations includes most of the stations, airfields and administrative headquarters previously used by the Royal Air Force.
The stations are listed under any former county or country name which was appropriate for the du ...
*
South West Aviation
References
* Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
*
External links
*
*
{{USAAF 9th Air Force UK
Airports in Devon
Buildings and structures in Exeter
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in the European Theater
Airfields of the IX Troop Carrier Command in the United Kingdom
Transport in Exeter