Kirkwall Airport

Kirkwall Airport (IATA: KOI, ICAO: EGPA) is the main airport serving Orkney in Scotland. It is located 2.5 NM (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) southeast of Kirkwall^[1] and is owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport is used by Loganair.

Kirkwall Airport
IATA: KOI ICAO: EGPA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	HIAL
Serves	Mainland, Orkney
Location	Kirkwall, Scotland
Elevation AMSL	58 ft / 18 m
Coordinates	58°57′29″N 002°54′02″W
Website	Kirkwall Airport
Map
EGPA Location in Orkney
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09/27 1,430 4,692 Grooved asphalt 14/32 677 2,221 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Passengers 143,093 Passenger change 2022–23 7.3% Aircraft movements 11,443 Movements change 2022–23 2.7%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1] Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

History

Foundation

The airport was built and commissioned in 1940 as Royal Air Force Grimsetter , or simply RAF Grimsetter, for the defence of the Scapa Flow naval base. It took its name from the farm of Grimsetter, which the airfield was built over. In 1943, the Royal Navy took over the airbase and it was known as Royal Naval Air Station Grimsetter, commonly referred to as RNAS Grimsetter, later commissioned as HMS Robin and used by the Fleet Air Arm. Control passed in 1948 to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and in 1986 to Highlands and Islands Airports.^[3]

Royal Air Force

The following RAF units were here at some point:

• No. 129 Squadron RAF (1942–43)^[4]
• No. 132 Squadron RAF (1942)^[5]
• No. 234 Squadron RAF (1943)^[6]
• No. 2704 Squadron RAF Regiment^[7]
• No. 2766 Squadron RAF Regiment^[7]

Royal Navy

On 6 July 1943, RAF Grimsetter was transferred on loan to the Admiralty and known as Royal Naval Air Station Grimsetter, (RNAS Grimsetter). On 15 August, it was commissioned as HMS Robin, as a satellite to RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk),^[8] located 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north west of Kirkwall.

The following Fleet Air Arm units were here at some point:^[9]

• 800 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 801 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 807 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 824 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 825 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 825X Naval Air Squadron
• 826 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 841 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 842 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 846 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 848 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 849 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 880 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 881 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 882 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 884 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 887 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 894 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 899 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 1770 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 1834 Naval Air Squadron^[7]
• 1840 Naval Air Squadron^[7]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled flights to and from Kirkwall:

Airlines	Destinations
Loganair[10]	Aberdeen,[11] Belfast–City,[a][12] Dundee,[13] Eday,[14] Edinburgh,[15] Glasgow,[11] Inverness,[11] London–Heathrow,[b][16] Manchester,[c][12] North Ronaldsay,[17] Papa Westray,[18] Sanday,[19] Stronsay,[20] Sumburgh,[11] Westray[21] Seasonal: Bergen,[d] Fair Isle[22]

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Royal Mail[23]	Glasgow, Sumburgh

Statistics and traffic

Annual traffic statistics

Traffic statistics at Kirkwall^[24]

Year	Passengers handled		Aircraft movements
	No.	% change	No.	% change
2015	160,234		10,701
2016	163,029	01.7%	11,045	03.2%
2017	177,248	09.0%	14,754	08.7%
2018	181,562	02.4%	14,771	00.1%
2019	171,603	05.9%	14,247	03.5%
2020	63,113	63.2%	9,498	33.3%
2021	85,665	40.0%	11,114	17.0%
2022	133,410	55.7%	11,758	5.8%
2023	143,093	07.3%	11,443	02.7%

Busiest routes

Busiest routes to and from Kirkwall (2023)^[25]

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	Change 2022–23
1	Aberdeen	42,821	5.0%
2	Edinburgh	38,277	16.0%
3	Glasgow	17,340	10.0%
4	Sumburgh	6,171	20.0%
5	North Ronaldsay	5,903	7.0%
6	Inverness	5,251	9.0%
7	Westray	4,891	2.0%
8	Papa Westray	4,595	16.3%
9	Sanday	3,211	7.0%
10	Stronsay	3,033	1.0%
11	Heathrow	2,600
12	Eday	523	73.0%
13	London City	231
14	Dundee	209

Accidents and incidents

The Viscount G-BGYZ damaged 1979 at Kirkwall seen in Stuttgart, May 1979

• 25 October 1979 – A Vickers Viscount G-BFYZ of Alidair was damaged beyond economic repair when the aircraft departed the runway after #4 propeller struck the runway. The nosewheel collapsed when the aircraft reached an intersecting runway.^[26]

Green energy

Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water was well under way in late 2020 in Orkney, where clean energy sources (wind, waves, tides) were generating excess electricity that could be used to produce hydrogen gas (H₂).^[27] A plan was under way at Kirkwall Airport to add a hydrogen combustion engine system to the heating system in order to reduce the significant emissions that were created with older technology that heated buildings and water. This was part of the plan formulated by the Scottish government for the Highlands and Islands "to become the world's first net zero aviation region by 2040".^[28]

Artwork

The signage on the airport's terminal roof is written in runes. The symbols spell the word 'Krimsitir' or 'Grimsetter'^{[29][better source needed]}, the name of the bay next to which the airfield is located, which was similarly the name of the former RAF base and the name of the farm upon which the airfield was built.

Notes

1. Belfast–City service is a continuation of the Inverness service as the same flight number
2. London Heathrow service is a continuation of the Dundee service as the same flight number
3. Manchester service is a continuation of the Inverness service as the same flight number
4. Bergen service is a continuation of the Inverness service as the same flight number