aviation - the past, present and future of flight

O

ne of the oldest airports in Britain

is enjoying a new lease of life,

thanks to its success in courting

the low-cost market. The airport

at Liverpool, in the northwest of England, has

enjoyed considerable expansion in the last

two decades and now has plans to capitalise

on that growth with a development plan

covering the next 30 years.

The airport at Speke, seven miles

southeast of the city centre and next to the

River Mersey, officially opened on July 1,

1933, although commercial aviation began

in early 1930 when Imperial Airways started

an experimental service. An Armstrong

Whitworth Argosy connected Croydon to

Liverpool, via Birmingham and Manchester.

During World War Two, Blenheim and

Halifax aircraft were built at Speke, and

Lockheed Hudsons, delivered by sea from the

USA, were reassembled there.

Post-war, the airport expanded and

LIVERPOOL

AIRPORT

ON THE UP

Liverpool Airport is working

‘Eight Days a Week’ to boost passenger

numbers as Martyn Cartledge discovered.

20 Aviation News incorporating Jets April 2018

There are tributes to the Beatles all around

the airport. Yoko Ono unveiled this statue to

her late husband John Lennon in 2002. It sits

on a mezzanine floor overlooking the check-

in and arrival areas. Key-Andy Martin

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