Barra Airport
| Barra Airport Gaelic: Port-adhair Bharraigh | |||
.jpg) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Code | IATA: BRR, ICAO: EGPR | ||
| County | Inverness-shire | ||
| Island | Barra | ||
| Public | |||
| Operator | Highlands and Islands Airports Limited | ||
| Location | NF69590587 57°1’30"N, 7°26’51"W | ||
| Runway(s) | 2,620 feet (Sand) 2,230 feet (Sand) 2,776 feet (Sand) | ||
| Website | Barra Airport | ||
Barra Airport ((IATA: BRR, ICAO: EGPR) (also known as Barra Eoligarry Airport) is a short-runway airport (or STOLport) laid out in the wide shallow bay of Traigh Mhòr at the northern tip of the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, and part of Inverness-shire. The airport is unique, being the only one in the world where scheduled flights use a tidal beach as the runway.[1] The airport is operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, which owns most of the regional airports in mainland Scotland and the outlying islands.
Barra Airport opened in 1936. Its only destination is Glasgow.[2]
Infrastructure
The beach is set out with three runways in a triangle, marked by permanent wooden poles at their ends, in directions 07/25, 11/29, 15/33. This almost always allows the Twin Otters that serve the airport to land into the wind. At high tide these runways are under the sea: flight times vary with the tide. Emergency flights occasionally operate at night from the airport, with vehicle lights used to illuminate the runway and reflective strips laid on to the beach.[3]
Barra Airport also has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P792) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Highlands & Islands Airports Limited). The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.[4]
Trivia
- The beach is also popular with visitors and cockle pickers, who are asked to observe the windsock to see if the airport is in operation.
- In 2011, Barra Airport was voted No.1 in the world's top airport approaches by a poll conducted by PrivateFly.com.[5] The previous year, Barra took 10th place.
Pictures
Plane taxiing on arrival.
The airport runway - An Tràigh Mhòr ("The Great Beach")
Barra Airport, with plane on final approach
Twin Otter landing at Barra Airport
Twin Otter at Barra airport, ground crew preparing for take off.
Outside links
References
- ↑ Barra Airport: Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
- ↑ "Barra airport destinations". Barra Airport - HIAL. https://www.hial.co.uk/barra-airport/destinations. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ↑ Khan, Stephen (2002-11-10). "Dogfight over Barra to keep air link open". The Observer. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2002/nov/10/travelnews.uknews.theobserver. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
- ↑ Civil Aviation Authority Aerodrome Ordinary Licences Template:Webarchive
- ↑ "Top 10 Airport Approaches 2011". PrivateFly.com. November 2011. http://www.privatefly.com/inspirational-jet-flights/top-10-airport-approaches-2011.html. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- Calderwood, Roy: Times subject to Tides - The Story of Barra Airport (Kea Publishing, 1999) ISBN 978-0-9518958-3-2
