Newcastle Airport celebrates 80th birthday

Newcastle International Airport (NIA) is celebrating 80 years of flight success, with bosses already looking forward to the future.

Graeme Mason, Planning and Development Director, said that they are extremely proud of their role in the North East and described the birthday celebration as a great opportunity to honour that.

80 years of success

Mr Mason added that the airport has come a long way since 26^th July 1935 – when it first opened its doors and former Air Minister Philip Cunliffe-Lister flew with them.

Originally a small hut on the airfield, NIA has expanded immensely and now witnesses over 4.5 million passengers from around the world pass through their doors, with flights to Dubai and New York taking off on a regular basis.

NIA has also seen hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers head abroad with budget airlines such as Jet2 and easyJet.

Looking to the future

Dave Laws, who begun work as the Airport Fireman 35 years ago and is now Business Chief Executive, said that while the past 80 years have been a success the chiefs are now looking forward to plans set out for 2030.

Mr Laws noted that the airport is set to look extremely different by this time and has undergone a great deal of change over the past ten years, including with how passengers check-in online.

“I think the way security screening is done will be transformed, our retail, food and drink offering will develop further and aircraft technology will develop further,” he added.

NIA is already using new technology to improve its facilities – including the 787 Dreamliner which is known for being more eco-friendly than others in its field.

Mr Laws continued that travellers’ aspirations are greater than ever before and NIA is striving to meet and serve the demands of Newcastle without customers having to travel long distances to Manchester or Edinburgh.

If you’re thinking of travelling abroad via NIA, book your worldwide travel insurance in advance

Date Created: 27/07/2015