Foula Airfield
Foula Airfield | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Owner | Foula Airstrip Trust [1] | ||||||||||
Serves | Foula, Shetland Islands | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 150 ft / 46 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 60°07′18″N 2°03′12″W / 60.12167°N 2.05333°WCoordinates: 60°07′18″N 2°03′12″W / 60.12167°N 2.05333°W | ||||||||||
Website | http://www.shetland.gov.uk/transport/internal_air.asp | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
FOA Location in Shetland | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Foula Airfield (IATA: FOA) is an airfield located on the remote island of Foula, part of the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland.
History[]
The airstrip opened in the 1970s and is run by the Foula Airstrip Trust, Scottish charity number SC021728.[2] Foula is also served by a ferry service running three times a week but it is claimed that tourists prefer the short flight to the 135 minute ferry crossing.[citation needed] Also, the ferry is based on Foula, so a day trip to the island is only possible by air. The flights are used to transport essentials such as prescriptions to the island, which has a population of 38.[1][3]
The airfield also provides the island's only public toilet and telephone.[4][5]
Airlines and destinations[]
Foula is served by a PSO service from Tingwall Airport run by Airtask Group and funded by Shetland Islands Council.[6][7] The service uses a Britten Norman Islander aircraft and runs 7 times a week in winter[8] and 13 times a week in summer,[9] with a flying time of 15 minutes.[3] Flights are heavily weather dependent due to fog and crosswind.[4]
Airlines | Destinations |
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Directflight | Lerwick |
Accidents and incidents[]
In June 2014 flights were suspended as it was believed that the airfield's insurance was not suitable following the closure of the island's fire station in 2012.[3][10] Flights have since resumed.
Flight arriving from Tingwall Airport
Baggage being loaded.
Arrival from Tingwall about to disembark.
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Griffiths, Rosalind (20 June 2014). "Foula flights halted over lack of fire cover". Shetland Times.
- ^ "Foula Airstrip (Number 2) Trust, SC021728". OSCR.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Foula". Visit Shetland.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Foula" (PDF). Shetland Heritage.
- ^ "General Information". Foula Heritage. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Shetland Islands Inter Island Air Service". Airtask Group.
- ^ "Internal Air Services". Shetland Island Council.
- ^ "Winter timetable" (PDF).
- ^ "Summer Timetable" (PDF).
- ^ Bevington, Pete (19 June 2014). "Foula and Skerries flights suspended". Shetland News. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- Airports in Shetland
- Foula