The little-known UK airport that’s relaunching passenger flights to Europe this summer
A UK airport is restarting flights to Europe this summer – for the first time in five years.
Llyd Airport, also known as London Ashford Airport, ceased scheduled passenger operators back in 2018, operated by LyddAir.
However, FAL Aviation airport operator’s David Hainsworth confirmed that flights would be going ahead again this year.
Destinations will include Le Touquet in France, and other holiday hotspots yet to be revealed.
He told Kent Online: “Our short, medium and long-term business plan to transform the airport continues at pace.
“Air Alderney commences passenger services to Le Touquet and other destinations from summer 2023.”
The airline, which launched passenger flights last year, currently operates routes between Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey.
The official start date and prices for Llyd Airport’s flights are yet to be revealed.
David added that improvements included two new hangars and a reorganisation of the airport operations.
The airport also hopes to expand and lengthen its runways to launch larger aircraft, currently only allowing planes such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus 319.
A spokesperson for the airport previously stated that the scheduled flights would allow locals to go on holiday abroad “without the hassle and expense of flying from London Airports.“
Lydd Airport was once the busiest airport in the country, with as many as 250,000 passengers travelling through a year – more than Gatwick at the time.
It first opened in 1954 with daily flights to Le Touquet, Cherbourg and Calais in France and Ostend in Belgium.
However, passenger numbers fell after the introduction of ferry services to Europe from Dover and Folkestone.
Scheduled flights were scrapped in 2018, with the airport being used for chartered flights, a training school and even a filming location.
The airport was featured in the 1960s James Bond film Goldfinger as well as British TV shows such as Top Gear and Silent Witness.
It’s not the only UK airport hoping to reopen.
Other UK airports are looking to launch more flights to Europe.
Plymouth Airport hopes to reopen after being closed for more than a decade while Swansea Airport is launching their first scheduled passenger flight in nearly 20 years this year.
And Humberside Airport could take on more flights this summer, despite being one of the smallest airports in the UK.
