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Blackpool Airport is an airport on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport and Blackpool International Airport. The airport was developed on one of the first aviation sites in the UK, with flying dating back to 1909. Ownership of the airport changed a number of times until May 2008, when Balfour Beatty purchased MAR Property's 95% stake. The remaining 5% was held by Blackpool Borough Council. During 2014 Balfour Beatty sought to sell the airport and, on 15 October 2014, the airport's terminal and Air Traffic Control provision was closed. In November 2014, the company formed a new company, Squires Gate Airport Operations Ltd and the airport reopened in December 2014 for non-commercial operations. Executive flights are operated by Hangar 3 and J-Max which both offer access to a private aircraft hangar and private aircraft management. Bond Offshore Helicopters operate services to the offshore oil and gas facilities in the Irish Seausing two Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin helicopters from a purpose built helicopter terminal facility. Blackpool Airport is also home to the North West Air Ambulance service operated by a twin-engined Eurocopter EC 135. There are many companies situated on the airfield which offer flying lessons and training flights. The fixed-wing lessons are usually in Piper or Cessna aircraft and the Robinson family of helicopters used for non-fixed wing lessons. Blackpool Airport Limited has a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P724) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. Passenger numbers peaked in 2007 with over 550,000 passing through the airport, but had fallen to 235,238 in 2012. In 2014, the last year of commercial operations, the airport handled 223,372 passengers, a drop of 15% compared to the 2013 stats; this is due to the stats running from 1 January until the closure of the airport on 15 October.〔 ==History== The airport site's first aviation use was in October 1909, when the UK's first official public Flying Meeting was held on a specially laid out site at Squires Gate, followed by another in 1910. By 1911 the site had become a racecourse and it was used as a military hospital during the First World War and until 1924. Flights from the site resumed in the early 1930s. Small UK airlines used the airfield during the mid-1930s. Railway Air Services commenced schedules to Blackpool from 15 April 1935, linking the airport with the Isle of Man, Manchester and Liverpool. Connections could be made at the two cities to London and the south and west of England. In June 1937, airline operations were transferred to Stanley Park Aerodrome. The sister of aviation pioneer Amy Johnson lived in Stanley Park, resulting in her often paying a visit; Johnson's last complete flight was a ferry flight for the ATA from Squires Gate to Oxford.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Blackpool Airport」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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