Kirkwall Airport
Public
IataKOI
IcaoEGPA
Owner-operHIAL
City-servedMainland, Orkney
LocationKirkwall, Scotland
Elevation-f58
Elevation-m18
Coordinates58°57′29″N 002°54′02″W
WebsiteKirkwall Airport
Metric-rwyY
R1-number09/27
R1-length-m1,430
R1-surfaceGrooved asphalt
R2-number14/32
R2-length-m677
R2-surfaceAsphalt
Stat-year2025
Stat1-headerPassengers
Stat1-data157,051
Stat2-headerPassenger change 2024–25
Stat2-data5%
Stat3-headerAir Transport Movements
Stat3-data10,274
Stat4-headerMovements change 2024–25
Stat4-data3%

Kirkwall Airport is the main airport serving Orkney in Scotland. It is located 3 mi; 5 km (2.5 nautical miles) southeast of Kirkwall[1] 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.[2]

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),[7] located 1 mi (1.6 km) to the north west of Kirkwall.

The following Fleet Air Arm units were here at some point:[8]

Statistics and traffic

Annual traffic statistics

Traffic statistics at Kirkwall Airport[9]
YearTerminal and Transit Passengers[a]Air Transport Movements[b]
Passengers% changeMovements% changeNotes
2015160,23410,701
2016163,0292%11,0453%[10][11]
2017177,2489%12,0089%[10][12]
2018181,5622%11,8401%[13][14]
2019172,6255%11,2565%[13][15]
202061,17765%7,45234%[16][17]
202185,66540%8,44613%[16][18]
2022133,41056%9,88117%[19][20]
2023143,0937%10,3204%[19][21]
2024149,5034%10,0113%[22][23]
2025157,0515%10,2743%[22][24]

Busiest routes

Busiest routes to and from Kirkwall (2023)[25]
RankAirportPassengers handledChange
2022–23
1Aberdeen42,8215.0%
2Edinburgh38,27716.0%
3Glasgow17,34010.0%
4Sumburgh6,17120.0%
5North Ronaldsay5,9037.0%
6Inverness5,2519.0%
7Westray4,8912.0%
8Papa Westray4,59516.3%
9Sanday3,2117.0%
10Stronsay3,0331.0%
11Heathrow2,600
12Eday52373.0%
13London City231
14Dundee209

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.[26]
  • 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.[27]

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).[28] 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".[29]

Artwork

The signage on the airport's terminal roof is written in runes. The symbols spell the word 'Krimsitir' or 'Grimsetter'[30][better source needed], 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

  1. ^ CAA Table 09
  2. ^ CAA Table 4.1

Citations

  1. ^ "Nats UK | AIP". Archived 20 July 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Kirkwall Airport: About Us". Highlands and Islands Airports. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  3. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 58.
  4. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 59.
  5. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 75.
  6. ^ "Grimsetter (Kirkwall)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Archived 26 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Grimsetter". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  8. ^ Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 365.
  9. ^ "UK airport data | UK Civil Aviation Authority". caa.co.uk. Archived 26 March 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  10. ^ "UK airport data 2016-17 / Annual / Table 09 Passengers". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  11. ^ "UK airport data 2016 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  12. ^ "UK airport data 2017 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  13. ^ "UK airport data 2018-19 / Annual / Table 09 Passengers". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  14. ^ "UK airport data 2018 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  15. ^ "UK airport data 2019 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  16. ^ "UK airport data 2020-21 / Annual / Table 09 Passengers". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  17. ^ "UK airport data 2020 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  18. ^ "UK airport data 2021 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  19. ^ "UK airport data 2022-23 / Annual / Table 09 Passengers". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  20. ^ "UK airport data 2022 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  21. ^ "UK airport data 2023 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  22. ^ "UK airport data 2024-25 / Annual / Table 09 Passengers". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  23. ^ "UK airport data 2024 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  24. ^ "UK airport data 2025 / Annual / Table 04.1 Air Transport Movements". CAA.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  25. ^ "Annual airport data 2023 | UK Civil Aviation Authority". www.caa.co.uk. Archived 26 March 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  26. ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Archived 25 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  27. ^ "Man jailed for bomb threats that shut down Kirkwall Airport". www.bbc.com. 2025-10-31. Archived 3 November 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
  28. ^ "How hydrogen is transforming these tiny Scottish islands". BBC News. 27 March 2019. Archived 14 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  29. ^ "Green hydrogen set to decarbonise airport". Hydrogen East. 20 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  30. ^ "Kirkwall Airport, Orkney: Memories from a Neighbor". Archived 28 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 June 2024.

Bibliography

  • Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Sturtivant, R & Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.