Plymouth City Airport

Plymouth City Airport
IATA: PLH ICAO: EGHD
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Plymouth City Council
Operator	Plymouth City Airport Ltd / Sutton Harbour Holdings
Serves	Plymouth
Location	Plymouth, Devon
Built	1925 (1925)
In use	1925-2011 (2011)
Elevation AMSL	476 ft / 145 m
Coordinates	50°25′22″N 004°06′21″W / 50.42278°N 4.10583°W / 50.42278; -4.10583 (Plymouth City Airport)Coordinates: 50°25′22″N 004°06′21″W / 50.42278°N 4.10583°W / 50.42278; -4.10583 (Plymouth City Airport)
Map
EGHD Location in Devon
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 13/31 1,160 3,806 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Movements 19,763 Passengers 157,933
Sources: UK AIP at NATS Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Plymouth City Airport (IATA: PLH, ICAO: EGHD) is a 'mothballed' airport located within the City of Plymouth 3.5 NM (6.5 km; 4.0 mi) north northeast of the city centre in Devon, England at Roborough. The airport opened on this site in 1925 and was officially opened by the future Edward VIII, as Prince of Wales, in 1931. The airport is located close to the city centre and has a modern terminal.

The airport is owned by Plymouth City Council and leased to Plymouth-based company Sutton Harbour Holdings.

In 2009, 157,933 passengers passed through the airport, a sharp increase of 34.0% on the 2008 total of 117,823 making Plymouth one of the few UK airports experiencing significant growth during the period. However, following the withdrawal of London flights in early 2011, the airport's owners said passenger totals had fallen to fewer than 100 a day. The was notified on 28 April 2011 that the airport would close by the end of the year.

Plymouth City Airport had a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P687) that allowed flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.

The airport closed and ceased all operations on 23 December 2011. As result of the announced closure a public campaign group was formed to protect the airport site. The group known as Viable delivered a petition to the City Council with 37000 signatures objecting to the Airport closure and asking the Council to protect the site.

In May 2015 FlyPlymouth announced it was ending its campaign and launching a social enterprise to acquire the Airport site and reopen the Airport.

In December 2016 a long-awaited Department for Transport study concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that sufficient demand exists to operate commercially viable passenger services and that the relatively short runway limits the range of aircraft and airlines able to operate from the airport.