Sumburgh Airport, A970, Sumburgh, Scatness, Shetland, Scotland, ZE3 9JN, United Kingdom

Nearby Locations

		Km
Lerwick Harbour	GBLER	31.8	015°
Shetland Lerwick Airport	EGET	34.9	004°
NLB Fair Isle North Lighthouse helipad	SCO-078	40.4	206°
Fair Isle	EGEF	42.7	206°
NLB Fair Isle South Lighthouse helipad	SCO-079	45.3	207°
Foula Airfield	EGFO	50.2	303°

The airport was built in the late 1930s to provide air services to a number of Scottish airports. From 1940 it was an RAF fighter base to intercept Luftwaffe raids from Norwegian bases, protect the Shetlands but also as reserve cover for the Home Fleet's northern anchorage at Scapa Flow, further south in the Orkney Isles. Sumburgh became Shetland's premier airport over Lerwick (Tingwall) in 1953 and because of its proximity to the mainland. In 1971, in response to the North Sea hydrocarbon exploration and production industry, a brace of C-47s began scheduled services from Aberdeen and helicopter operations soon followed.

Its perimeter road curves around three-quarters of the airfield to the main terminal, built in 1979. Since 1982 the Wilsness Terminal has supplemented passenger movements. To improve reliabilty, a PAMOS weather monitoring system was installed in 1997 but in December 1999, the majority of North Sea oil-related helicopter operations transferred further north to Scatsta, nearer the Sullom Voe oil terminal. It also moved the traffic away from the conspicuous Sumburgh Lighthouse (an 1821 marvel from the prolific Stephenson family, for the Northern Lighthouse Board) and the important Old Scatness Broch archaeological site. Sumburgh is the most northerly SAR base, towards the northern margin of the UK Search and Rescue Region.

Units

			Abrev	Nick
1985-	Shetland District
2016-2023	Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore

News

Sumburgh Oil and Gas Contract Starts

Jul 2, 2020 · Babcock S-92 helicopters began 5-year contract for daily flights from Sumburgh, Shetland Islands, to oil and gas platforms in the northern North Sea on behalf of EnQuest, TAQA and CNR International. Workers arrived from Aberdeen on Loganair ATR-42 a
Five-Years Contract for Babcock in North Sea

Mar 8, 2020 · Babcock Mission Critical Services (MCS) Offshore starting 100 helicopter flights per month next July from Sumburgh, Shetland Islands, northern Scotland, to support oil and gas operations of CNR International, EnQuest and TAQA
1,000th Mission for Bristow SAR Sumburgh

Feb 21, 2020 · HM Coastguard Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter base at Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands, Scotland completed its 1,000 mission since operated by the civilian service (Bristow) from 2013
Bristow 5-Years Contract with BP in North Sea

Jun 7, 2019 · Bristow, and Eastern Airways, awarded 5-year contract to support BP’s North Sea operations with S-92 out of Aberdeen and Sumburgh
Bristow S-92 to Support TAQA in East Shetland Basin

Mar 8, 2018 · Bristow in partnership with Eastern Airways to provide offshore transport to TAQA in the East Shetland basin with Sikorsky S-92 and Saab 2000 aircraft
Bristow Sumburgh SAR Completes 500 mission

Dec 16, 2016 · HM Coastguard search and rescue (SAR) helicopter service of Sumburgh, in Shetland off the Scottish coast, passed the 500 missions milestone since operated by Bristow from July 2013

Jul 29, 2016 · Bristow SAR Third Anniversary in Northern Scotland
Dec 16, 2015 · Bond Launched Aberdeen New Route Via Sumburgh
Sep 9, 2015 · UK Sumburgh SAR 335 Taskings in First Two Years

Jul 29, 2014 · Bristow First Anniversary of Northern Scotland SAR
Apr 25, 2014 · UK SAR Oscar Charlie Legacy in Naming Ceremony

Shetland Sumburgh Airport

EGPB · LSI

@ (optional)