History
The first airports appeared in Islay in the 1930s. However, these were just grass strips. In 1940, during World War II, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill ordered military airports to be constructed in the western islands of Scotland, both to defend against a German assault on the Scottish mainland and also to provide reconnaissance planes a base to fly missions over the Atlantic Ocean. The present Islay airport was constructed in 1940, and received a concrete runway in 1942. During World War II, over 1,500 Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel were stationed at Islay Airport.
On 29 June 1994, The Prince of Wales made headlines when he overshot the runway while landing a BAe 146 of No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron of the RAF on the runway of the airport. No one was injured, however the plane was badly damaged.
Read more about this topic: Islay Airport
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“History takes time.... History makes memory.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)