Spitfire flights in the North are now within easy reach of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield.

Back in 1909 the skies were starting to buzz with aircraft when Blackpool Airport (originally called Squires Gate Airport) hosted the UK’s very first public Flying Meeting. It was like a grand opening for the world of aviation.
During World War I, the location was transformed into a military hospital so pilots and planes gave way to doctors and nurses. In 1919 pleasure flights took off from South Shore and people hopped on planes just for the thrill of it.

Fast-forward to the 1930s and Blackpool Airport was taken over by RAF Coastal Command but commercial flights were still permitted.
As World War II arrived in 1939 RAF Squires Gate took center stage as a fighter squadron base, playing a crucial role in protecting Liverpool and patrolling the Irish Sea. Nearby Stanley Park was requisitioned as an RAF parachute training center. Nearly a quarter of all Wellington Bombers were produced at Blackpool factories.

After the war, the skies were free to enjoy again and passenger numbers soared. People were itching to travel, and Blackpool Airport was their gateway to adventure. In the 1950’s Hawker Aircraft moved onto the airport to boost production of Hunter jet fighters. The ’80s were all about expansion into European destinations. In 2004, MAR Properties Ltd stepped in, sprucing up the airport soon joined by Balfour Beatty in 2008, giving the airport a fancy new name: ‘Blackpool International for Lancashire and The Lake District.’

In early 2024 some trial Spitfire Flying days were organised in partnership with ‘Spitfire of the North’. On the back of overwhelming interest from people in the local area the events were a success, so now ‘Fly a Spitfire’ are bringing Spitfires back to Blackpool with additional dates planned for 2024 and 2025 .