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The 60's and 70's saw the boom in package holidays, unfortunately Blackpool's biggest growing airline (AirUK) pulled out leaving the future looking bleak. The airport managed to sustain itself from having some charter and pleasure flights plus a helicopter base for the off shore gas rigs, a business that is still going strong today.
Important dates
1961 Pegasus Airways began a Blackpool to London air route
1961 Headroom Gate farm was demolished at the far south of the airfield
1962 Blackpool corporation took over Squires Gate from the ministry of aviation
1962 British United Airways began operating from the airport
1965 North Lancs Parachute club based themselves at Blackpool airport
1966 Feb, two people were killed when their Auster aircraft crashed
1971 BUA became British Island Airways (AirUK) and placed an Engineering base at Blackpool
1971 The Camping coaches were finally removed from Squires Gate
1974 Helicopters begin supplying offshore gas rigs
1981 A pedal kit form plane flew from the airport.
1982 The TV series airline was filmed at Squires Gate, the program was based on an air transport company starting up after WW2.
1983 Aquired a Vulcan Bomber as a gate guard, scrapped in 2008.
1986 Blackpool Helicentre opened
1987 Jane Aviation operated from the airport before moving to Liverpool and being renamed Emerald Airways
1995 Pool Aviation was established
1996 The new terminal was openend
1996 The old control tower (Vickers factory flight office/Pilot House) was demolished
1997 BAC started operating from Blackpool airport
1999 The Air Ambulance started flying from Squires Gate
Through some rocky times the airport sold off land to develop itself, the picture below shows the ensued areas.
Much of the south side became residential areas
The Blue area became a driving range
The Yellow area was sold off to Morrisons
The green area became a Business park
The Terminal was added to (see below)
As passenger number began to increase the terminal began to expanded. It began life as the Officers and Sargent N.A.A.F.I, constructed in the shape of a capital H on its side. By 1961 the terminal had been extended to a T shape.
Some time in the mid eighties the teriminal was extended again.
1996 saw the new terminal build next to the existing one before being totally demolished and made into a short stay car park. Some of the airport frontage was sold off and used as a travel lodge/pub.
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