Kirkwall Airport is the main airport serving Orkney in Scotland. It is located southeast of Kirkwall and is owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport is used by Loganair.
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.
Royal Air Force The following RAF units were here at some point:
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), located to the north west of Kirkwall.
The following Fleet Air Arm units were here at some point:
Airlines and destinations
Cargo
Statistics and traffic Annual traffic statistics
+Traffic statistics at Kirkwall AirportYearTerminal and Transit PassengersAir Transport MovementsPassengers% changeMovements% changeNotes2015160,23410,7012016163,029 2%11,045 3%2017177,248 9%12,008 9%2018181,562 2%11,840 1%2019172,625 5%11,256 5%202061,177 65%7,452 34%202185,665 40%8,446 13%2022133,410 56%9,881 17%2023143,093 7%10,320 4%2024149,503 4%10,011 3%2025157,051 5%10,274 3%
Busiest routes +Busiest routes to and from Kirkwall (2023)RankAirportPassengers handledChange2022–231 Aberdeen42,821 5.0%2 Edinburgh38,277 16.0%3 Glasgow17,340 10.0%4 Sumburgh6,171 20.0%5 North Ronaldsay5,903 7.0%6 Inverness5,251 9.0%7 Westray4,891 2.0%8 Papa Westray4,595 16.3%9 Sanday3,211 7.0%10 Stronsay3,033 1.0%11 Heathrow2,60012 Eday523 73.0%13 London City23114 Dundee209
Accidents and incidents
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. 4 January 2025 - A man was jailed after repeatedly telling airport staff a friend of his was going to hijack an airplane and crash it into the airport. The threats were deemed 'not credible' by airport security.
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). 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".
Artwork The signage on the airport's terminal roof is written in runes. The symbols spell the word 'Krimsitir' or 'Grimsetter', 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.
References Notes
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