From humble beginnings 90 years ago today, our airport has really taken off

NEWCASTLE International Airport, one of the region's principal assets, is marking its 90th anniversary.

- By DAVID MORTON

Situated six miles north of Newcastle, Woolsington Aerodrome (as it was originally known) was officially opened on July 26, 1935.

With air travel still in its relative infancy, the basic facility, built at a cost of £35,000, was a far cry from the sprawling 21st-century technologically-advanced transport hub which exists today.

Arriving by plane from London and flying over the heads of a waiting crowd numbering several thousand before landing, the opening ceremony was performed by Sir Phillip Cunliffe-Lister, the Secretary of State for Air. It was an exciting moment.

Praising the new airport and the efforts behind the venture, he declared: "It is going to be a real business asset to have a first-class aerodrome. You have done service to your city and district for the future."

The new airport covered an area of 345 acres, of which 107 acres had been utilised, reported the local press.

There was a grass runway, hangar, workshops, fuel pumps, and clubhouse, and it would provide the base for Newcastle upon Tyne Aero Club.