Airport Guide
Blackpool Airport
Blackpool Airport
One of the smaller international airports in the whole of the UK, Blackpool is nevertheless now handling in excess of half a million passengers a year. Thomsonfly is a major airline brand at Blackpool Airport.
Not only does it welcome both domestic and foreign holidaymakers looking to enjoy a break in one of the country's most famous old-fashioned seaside resorts, but it also serves as an affordable gateway to the rest of Europe for travellers based in the north-west of England.
Though small, Blackpool Airport has an interesting history, being one of the first sites in the country for the use of commercial flights and the site of the UK's first official public Flying Meeting back in October 1909.
After a relatively quiet couple of decades, the outbreak of the Second World War saw the arrival of the aircraft manufacturer Vickers, which produced thousands of Wellington bombers in the seaside town, using the airfield for test flights.
Likewise, the Cold War of the 1950s allowed the factories to carry on working and therefore Hawker Hunter jet fighters could be seen flying over Blackpool Tower.
Before commercial airlines established themselves at Blackpool, the airport was largely used for helicopter flights to offshore gas facilities in the Irish Sea.
In 2005, however, everything changed as Jet2.com became the first major low-cost airline to use the airport, boosting passenger numbers almost overnight and persuading a host of rivals to follow suit.
Blackpool Airport is located just a couple of miles southeast of the centre of the Lancashire town and is easily one of the most accessible of all UK airports.
There are efficient links to the network of motorways covering the north of the country, including to cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.
Likewise, these major cities can be easily reached by train, with the Squires Gate station right outside the terminal building and just a few minutes from the town's main station.
To get into the holiday spirit early, it is also possible to take a tram along the promenade and the Golden Mile to Starr Gate tram stop which, though slower than the train or a taxi, it is far more pleasant.
The first to arrive, Jet2.com, is also still the most dominant, offering regular services to Alicante, Belfast, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife.
Rival budget airline flies to Dublin and Girona in Spain, Manx2 operates servies to Belfast as well as the Isle of Man, while Thomsonfly operates a route to Alicante during the summer months.
One of the smaller international airports in the whole of the UK, Blackpool is nevertheless now handling in excess of half a million passengers a year. Thomsonfly is a major airline brand at Blackpool Airport.
Not only does it welcome both domestic and foreign holidaymakers looking to enjoy a break in one of the country's most famous old-fashioned seaside resorts, but it also serves as an affordable gateway to the rest of Europe for travellers based in the north-west of England.
History of Blackpool Airport
Though small, Blackpool Airport has an interesting history, being one of the first sites in the country for the use of commercial flights and the site of the UK's first official public Flying Meeting back in October 1909.
After a relatively quiet couple of decades, the outbreak of the Second World War saw the arrival of the aircraft manufacturer Vickers, which produced thousands of Wellington bombers in the seaside town, using the airfield for test flights.
Likewise, the Cold War of the 1950s allowed the factories to carry on working and therefore Hawker Hunter jet fighters could be seen flying over Blackpool Tower.
Before commercial airlines established themselves at Blackpool, the airport was largely used for helicopter flights to offshore gas facilities in the Irish Sea.
In 2005, however, everything changed as Jet2.com became the first major low-cost airline to use the airport, boosting passenger numbers almost overnight and persuading a host of rivals to follow suit.
Travelling to Blackpool Airport
Blackpool Airport is located just a couple of miles southeast of the centre of the Lancashire town and is easily one of the most accessible of all UK airports.
There are efficient links to the network of motorways covering the north of the country, including to cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.
Likewise, these major cities can be easily reached by train, with the Squires Gate station right outside the terminal building and just a few minutes from the town's main station.
To get into the holiday spirit early, it is also possible to take a tram along the promenade and the Golden Mile to Starr Gate tram stop which, though slower than the train or a taxi, it is far more pleasant.
Airline Flying From Blackpool Airport
Taking off alongside the energy company helicopters and the summer charter flights are a select group of low-cost carriers.The first to arrive, Jet2.com, is also still the most dominant, offering regular services to Alicante, Belfast, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife.
Rival budget airline flies to Dublin and Girona in Spain, Manx2 operates servies to Belfast as well as the Isle of Man, while Thomsonfly operates a route to Alicante during the summer months.