Beverley International Airport

No, we’re not joking! Beverley and East Yorkshire did enjoy having an international airport at one time. Well, to be totally accurate, it was based at Leconfield after restrictions were placed on Brough airfield in the late 1960s. The first airline operating from the then RAF Leconfield was Autair International with services to London Luton, Teeside, Isle of Man, Norwich, Belfast, Amsterdam, and Jersey. In late summer 1969, Autair ceased all domestic flights throughout the UK due to mounting losses and were absorbed into Court Line that also ceased trading in 1974.

After the closure of Autair services from RAF Leconfield, Ellerman Wilson Shipping Line formed Humber Airways with twice-daily flights from Leconfield to London Leavesden with onward train connections to the heart of London. These flights were twice as fast as travelling by train to London, but sadly the service only lasted for just over a year.

At one time it was suggested that Leconfield would become the new international airport for East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire after the closure of the RAF base. However, due to pressure from local residents on the flight path, the airfield at Kirmington became the local airport. It is interesting to note that in its heyday Beverley’s airport at Leconfield offered more domestic services than can be found today at Humberside airport!