The History of Manston Airport

Perhaps the most colorful fact about the Manston Airport is that, unlike so many airports that dot (and some might say riddle) the rural and urban landscape these days, it was not born as an airport at all. Instead, it was farmland used by World War One pilots for emergency landings in the winter of 1915–1916.

The Royal Navy quickly identified that Manston’s location near the Kent coast gave it some key advantages over other aerodromes in the region, and established the Admiralty Aerodrome at Manston. The Handley Page Training School also opened to train pilots on how to fly the new Handley Page Type O bombers. While there are no complete examples of Type O bombers remaining, the Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford has multiple relics that are truly worth seeing.

Other aspects of Manston Airport’s fascinating history include:

• The airfield officially became the Manston Airport in 1916.
• Four massive underground hangars were built to house 3,000 men.
• By 1917, the airport was home to the Royal Flying Corps, which played a pivotal role in the defense of Britain.
• Due to its close proximity to the front lines in World War Two, Manston was used as a forward base by multiple squadrons.
• During the Battle of Britain in World War Two, the airport was several damaged and was forced to briefly shut down.
• During World War Two, Sir Winston Churchill was a frequent visitor to the airport, as he traveled to nearby Reculver to watch Sir Barnes Wallis test his “bouncing bomb”.
• During the cold war of the 1950s, the airport was used by the United States Air Force as a strategic command airbase for fighter-bomber units. This ended in 1960, when the airport was taken over as a joint RAF and civilian operation.
• In the 1960s, civil aviation firms were flying more than 700,000 passengers a year.
• In 1988, Manston Airport had its first airshow since the 1950s. These popular events would continue for 25 years until the final airshow in 2013.

Manston Airport closed in 2014, which was an unfortunate event not just for the 144 people who lost their jobs, but for the community at large. However, there is more than a glimmer of hope that the airport’s best days are still ahead. Multiple campaigns have launched to reopen the airport, and the government has taken notice — although nothing has yet been decided.

Travel industry expert Tony Freudmann comments: “I and many others would be delighted for Manston Airport to become operational again. It is not just a symbol of our great history, but represents what could be a truly commercial enterprise, especially with respect to cargo and engineering. It would also be a massive boon to the local economy, and create hundreds of well-paying, permanent jobs”.