Newquay Cornwall Airport

Cornwall Airport Newquay Ayrborth Tewynblustri Kernow RAF St Mawgan
IATA: NQY ICAO: EGHQ
Summary
Airport type	Public/Military
Operator	Cornwall Airport Ltd.
Serves	Newquay and Cornwall
Location	Mawgan in Pydar, Cornwall
Elevation AMSL	390 ft / 119 m
Coordinates	50°26′27″N 004°59′43″W / 50.44083°N 4.99528°W / 50.44083; -4.99528Coordinates: 50°26′27″N 004°59′43″W / 50.44083°N 4.99528°W / 50.44083; -4.99528
Website	cornwallairportnewquay.com
Map
EGHQ Location in Cornwall
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 12/30 2,744 9,003 Grooved Asphalt
Statistics (2016)
Passengers 371,500 Passenger change 15-16 47.4% Aircraft Movements 30,417 Movements change 15-16 33.1%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Passengers	371,500
Passenger change 15-16	47.4%
Aircraft Movements	30,417
Movements change 15-16	33.1%

Cornwall Airport Newquay (IATA: NQY, ICAO: EGHQ) is the main commercial airport for Cornwall. At Mawgan in Pydar, 4 NM (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) northeast of Newquay on Cornwall's north coast, its runway was operated by RAF St Mawgan before 2008. The airport is close to Newquay, a major Cornish urban centre and resort, as well as attractions such as The Eden Project. The airport hosts the Aerohub enterprise zone and is also a bidder in the competition to become the UK's first spaceport.

In 2016, the airport handled 371,500 passengers, a 47.4% increase compared with 2015. Newquay has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. The Cornwall Air Ambulance is based at the airport.

The runway is able to take the very largest and fastest of civil and military aircraft, having been built and maintained for decades as an RAF maritime operations base. The US Navy were present with the USN AWD storage facility and JMF. With the end of the Cold War and changes in American political priorities, the Americans pulled out of all involvement with the base by the end of 2009. The last RAF flying squadron based at St Mawgan was 203(R) Squadron which operated as the Sea King Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) until 2008 and then moved to RAF Valley in Wales.

The airfield was originally opened in 1933 as a civilian facility, but was requisitioned at the outbreak of World War II and named RAF Trebelzue to support other bases in the Cornwall area. The base was then renamed RAF St Mawgan 1943, after expansion. The facility was then handed to the USAAF where a number of improvements took place, including the building of a new control tower and expansion of the current runway. The airfield was then put under maintenance in 1947, and reopened as a Coastal Command base in 1951. Since 1951, the base has seen various squadrons based; including 22 Sqn., 203 Sqn. 220 Sqn. (later renamed 201), 228 Sqn. (later renamed 206), both Long Range Reconnaissance Squadrons, 42 Sqn., 7 Sqn., 2625 Sqn (Royal Auxiliary Air Force) and 1 Sqn. (RAF Regiment) - 2625 Sqn was disbanded on 1 November 2006, whilst 1 Sqn relocated to RAF Honington. The others relocated or closed. In 2005, RAF St Mawgan was one of the bases shortlisted to house the new Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) in 2013, but in November 2005 it was announced by Minister of State for the Armed Forces Adam Ingram that the operation would be based from Scotland. Helicopter maintenance (HMF) also ceased here in late 2006.