Foula Airfield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Foula Airfield
IATA: FOA ICAO: none
Summary
Owner	Foula Airstrip Trust
Serves	Foula, Shetland Islands
Elevation AMSL	150 ft / 46 m
Coordinates	60°07′18″N 2°03′12″W / 60.12167°N 2.05333°W / 60.12167; -2.05333
Website	http://www.shetland.gov.uk/transport/internal_air.asp
Map
FOA Location in Shetland
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 18/36 [1] 1,252 382

Foula Airfield (IATA: FOA) is a small airfield on the remote island of Foula. This island is part of the Shetland Islands in northern Scotland. It's a very important link for the islanders.

History of Foula Airfield

The airstrip at Foula opened in the 1970s. It is managed by a group called the Foula Airstrip Trust. This trust helps keep the airfield running smoothly.

Foula also has a ferry service, but many people prefer flying. The flight is much quicker than the 135-minute ferry ride. If you want to visit Foula for just one day, flying is the only way to do it.

Flights are super important for the island's 38 residents. They help bring essential things like medicines to Foula. The airfield also has the island's only public toilet and telephone.

Flights and Destinations

Foula has special flights from Tingwall Airport. These flights are run by Airtask Group and supported by the Shetland Islands Council. This support ensures that people can travel to and from the island.

The service uses a small plane called a Britten Norman Islander. In winter, there are 7 flights a week. In summer, there are 13 flights a week. Each flight takes about 15 minutes.

However, flights can often be cancelled due to bad weather. Fog and strong crosswinds can make it unsafe to fly.

Airfield Updates

In June 2014, flights were temporarily stopped. This happened because of concerns about the airfield's safety arrangements. Luckily, flights started again soon after.

Images for kids

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  Flight arriving from Tingwall Airport

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  Baggage being loaded.

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  Arrival from Tingwall about to disembark.