Humberside Airport is in North Lincolnshire, UK, and serves several areas, including Lincolnshire, Hull, and parts of Yorkshire. It has a limited route network, but this includes scheduled services with KLM and Eastern Airways. The closure of nearby Doncaster Sheffield Airport shows the fragility of regional airports, but this may, in fact, boost opportunities for Humberside.
A short history
Like many airports in the UK, Humberside Airport has its origins in the Second World War. The airfield was built as an RAF base, home to a Lancaster squadron. It closed down after the war, however, and was not start operating again until 1974. At this time, the council opened it as Kirmington Airport (it was renamed Humberside Airport after the council areas were re-organized). It has operated continuously since then.
In 1999, ownership passed to Manchester Airports Group in the UK (the group also owns Manchester, East Midlands, and London Stansted airports). Ownership has since passed to The Eastern Group and now to The US-based Bristow Group (also the owner of Bristow Helicopters, which operates a base at the airport).
One of UK’s smallest airports
Similar to several UK regional airports, Humberside has a mix of scheduled flights and seasonal charter services. It does not currently have any routes operated by European low-cost carriers.
According to data from the UK CAA, in the year up to November 2022, it handled 88,000 passengers. This compares to nearby East Midlands at 3.1 million and Doncaster Sheffield at 1 million. It is similar in size to Southend or Stornoway airports.
There are other services at the airport, however. This includes several flying schools, a fixed-based operation for private flights, a BAE maintenance facility, and operation by Bristow Helicopters.
Photo: NORRIE3699 / Shutterstock
Scheduled flight operations with two airlines
For scheduled services, there are two regular airlines offering routes from Humberside – KLM and Eastern Airways.
KLM operates a longstanding service to Amsterdam Schiphol. KLM does the same at several UK regional airports – as of late 2022, it served 17 UK airports. This has long been a strategy of KLM (helped by acquisition history), and in many areas, means it is better connected for long-haul services than British Airways. There are either one or two flights a day operated by KLM Cityhopper. These both fly in the morning to help with onward connections.
Photo: Bjoern Wylezich I Shutterstock.
The UK airline Eastern Airways (owned by The Bristow Group) also operates several routes. Domestically, it flies six days a week year-round to Aberdeen. There is a seasonal service (starting in early April) to Newquay Cornwall airport operating four days a week, and a weekly service to Jersey in the summer. Internationally, it flies year-round to Esbjerg, Denmark, three times a week.
Photo: Bradley Caslin/Shutterstock
Charter flight services
There are also several charter flights from the airport. Currently, these include:
- A seasonal service to Majorca, Spain, with TUI Airways. This operates just once a week from May to October.
- Transun also organizes occasional winter flights direct to Lapland (Enontekio Airport in Finland). These likely use TUI Airways aircraft.
- BH Air (owned by Balkan Holidays) operates flights to Bourgas in Bulgaria twice a week in the summer season.
Photo: InsectWorld/ Shutterstock.
Competition and the future of the airport
Humberside Airport has plenty of regional competition. This is always a challenge in the UK as passengers can easily drive to an alternative airport that offers better flight options or better prices.
Of interest recently is the accouchement of the closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Its owners, the Peel Airports Group, announced it would close in November 2022, citing ongoing losses. Doncaster had quite different operations, with TUI, Wizz Air, and BH Air serving the airport at the time of closure (in the recent past, it also had Flybe, Ryanair, easyJet, Aer Lingus, and Lynx Air).
Although it is not the closest alternate airport, Humberside sees potential to grow following this closure. This is supported by the local council. Speaking in January 2023, Cllr Claire Holmes from the local East Riding Council explained the view and backing. She said (quoted by the Hull Daily Mail):
“Following the closure of Doncaster Airport, it’s anticipated that Humberside Airport will become a focus. Demand from both leisure and business travelers is expected to increase, which will maximize the opportunities for Humber residents and businesses. The council will continue to liaise with neighboring authorities about this, and we will look to promote the site. We will highlight Humberside Airport as a key resource.”
Have you flown from Humberside Airport? Feel free to discuss this regional airport further in the comments section.
Source: simpleflying.com
