Stornoway Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stornoway Airport Port-Adhair Steòrnabhagh
Runway 36 at Stornoway Airport
IATA: SYY ICAO: EGPO
Summary
Airport type	Private
Operator	Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
Serves	Stornoway, Outer Hebrides
Location	Isle of Lewis
Elevation AMSL	26 ft / 8 m
Coordinates	58°12′56″N 006°19′52″W / 58.21556°N 6.33111°W / 58.21556; -6.33111
Website	Stornoway Airport
Map
SYY Location in Outer Hebrides
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 06/24 1,000 3,281 Asphalt 18/36 2,315 7,595 Asphalt
Statistics (2018)
Passengers 135,700 Passenger Change 17–18 1.2% Aircraft Movements (2018) 10,570 Movements Change 17–18 3.2%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Stornoway Airport is an airfield on the Outer Hebrides Isle of Lewis. It is about 2 nautical miles (2.2 miles; 3.7 km) east of Stornoway, the biggest town on the island.

The Royal Air Force maintained an RAF airbase at the site of the airport until 1998.

Stornoway Airport is owned by HIAL, a company controlled by the Scottish Government. The airfield was first opened in 1937, and used mainly for military purposes. NATO aircraft used the airport for missions over the North Atlantic and for stop overs to Greenland and the United States.

Nowadays the airfield is mainly used for domestic passenger services. The Royal Mail also operates a daily mail flight. CHC Helicopters operate two Sikorsky S-92 helicopters, equipped for search and rescue on behalf of the Coastguard. The helicopter crews have flown on over 3,100 callouts since the establishment of the service in May 1987. There are also several privately owned light aircraft based at the airport.

Stornoway Airport was also the location of an emergency landing made by an American Airlines Boeing twin-engined 767 jet, on its way from Sweden to Chicago in 1981, due to a medical emergency on board. It stayed at the airport for 2 days.

Flights to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Benbecula are regular.