Airport History

Stornoway Airport is located on the Isle of Lewis, just over two miles east of Stornoway, the biggest town on the Outer Hebridean island, situated off the west coast of Scotland.

The original airfield at Stornoway was built on Melbost Golf Links, opening in 1937 with grass runways as part of Capt EE Fresson’s work to develop aviation in the Highlands and Islands.  When the Second World War broke out, the site was acquired by the Air Ministry, and the Royal Air Force maintained an airbase there until 1998. Commercial flights between Glasgow and the Hebrides commenced in May 1940, provided by Scottish Airways, using a de Havilland Rapide, but military operations dominated throughout the war years.

Four paved runways were completed by 1941, to meet the requirements of RAF Coastal Command who patrolled the North Atlantic looking for enemy vessels during wartime. US military personnel were based at Stornoway during wartime and these transatlantic connections were commemorated in 2022 with a visit to the airport by US Consul to Scotland, Michael Feldman.

A little-known fact is that RAF Stornoway features in the Tom Clancy novel, Red Storm Rising as the base for RAF operations over the North Atlantic against Soviet controlled Iceland and where the USS Nimitz ends up after sustaining damage in battle.

In 1946 the airfield passed into the ownership of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and reverted to the name of Stornoway Airport. Later, between 1960 and 1983, the airport was home to No 112 Signals Unit RAF who worked on the development of electronic countermeasure or ECM to protect aircraft from attack. This work proved valuable as part of operations during the Cold War.

During the 1970s through to the late 1990s, the airport acted as a NATO forward operating base, supporting missions over the North Atlantic and stop overs for flights heading to Greenland and the USA.

In the 1980’s, a £40 million investment programme to extend the main runway and taxiways, along with new hangars was completed, to accommodate RAF Panavia Tornado aircraft with RAF Stornoway reinstated as a forward operations base.

The RAF station was closed again in 1998 and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) selling the site to Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) and the airport reverted to civilian use once again, although the MOD and NATO still use the site for military exercises.

In 2025, a memorial flight by serving members and veterans of 8 Squadron flew into Stornoway Airport in an RAF Avro Shackleton Early Warning aircraft. The group were marking the 35th anniversary of a crash of the same type of aircraft on nearby Maodal hill, which claimed the lives of all ten crew on board, including the Officer commanding 8 Squadron at the time.

In 2022/2023, Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) invested in coastal protection works were carried out along Broad Bay beach which is adjacent to the airfield. Designed to protect the infrastructure and operations at the airport, the project used materials taken from local quarries to strengthen the rock armour at the eastern end of the main runway and to shield the airfield from erosion. Reno-mattresses, which are baskets made of steel wire mesh were placed to protect the seaward face of the dunes.

The RAF Red Arrows are regular visitors to Stornoway as they travel overseas for their flying displays. In August 2024, twelve jets landed ahead of their trip to Canada to mark their 60th anniversary, much to the delight of the local community who took full advantage of the photo opportunity.

At the start of 2026, a charity event was held at Stornoway Airport to mark the anniversary of Iolaire tragedy, which was one of the tragic maritime accidents in UK history. On 1 January 1919, HMY Iolaire struck rocks near the entrance to Stornoway harbour carrying around 280 servicemen home from the First World War. The vessel sank just twenty yards from the shore with many of the passengers and crew unable to swim to shore due to the cold water and heavy seas. It is estimated that over 200 people perished in the disaster with the majority being natives to the Isle of Lewis, which had a profound effect on the island’s population and economy.

Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) has managed and operated the airport since 4 March 1986 when the company was incorporated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.  Jordan Carberry has recently joined HIAL as Airport Manager at Stornoway, after holding operational and management roles within Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's Education, Skills & Children's Services Department. Jordan describes himself as having “a keen interest in aviation and a deep understanding of the importance of air connectivity for the local community.”

Stornoway is an airport with far reaching links to the military and to this day plays a key role for local people, providing access to the Scottish mainland with flights to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, as well as the nearby island of Benbecula. It also serves as a base for search and rescue on behalf of HM Coastguard UK and provides support to the oil and gas sector which operate in the North Atlantic.