Penzance Heliport

Penzance Heliport
Sikorsky S-61NM Echo Bravo departing Penzance Heliport for the Isles of Scilly during August 2006
IATA: PZE ICAO: EGHK
Summary
Airport type	Private
Owner	Penzance Heliport Ltd
Operator	Penzance Helicopters
Location	Penzance
Elevation AMSL	21 ft / 6 m
Coordinates	50.1304°N 5.5139°W / 50.1304; -5.5139
Map
EGHK Location in Cornwall
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m Concrete pad
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]

Penzance Heliport (IATA: PZE, ICAO: EGHK) is located 0.6 NM (1.1 km; 0.69 mi) northeast of Penzance, Cornwall.^[1] The heliport hosts scheduled flights to the Isles of Scilly, with a connection to the railway network at Penzance railway station by a special bus service. The original heliport had a single concrete landing pad, which was 30 m × 30 m (98 ft × 98 ft), inside a 373 m × 45 m (1,224 ft × 148 ft) grass strip, 08/26.

The first heliport was officially closed on 31 October 2012. A new heliport is now operational and is the base for a new helicopter service to the islands of Tresco and St Mary's, operated by Penzance Helicopters in conjunction with Starspeed Helicopters.^[2]

History

Services started on 1 May 1964 when BEA Helicopters operated the first service between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly with a Sikorsky S-61. The construction of the heliport cost £88,000^[3] (equivalent to £2,300,000 in 2023).^[4]

This heliport, opened formally on 1 September 1964 by Councillor Alfred Beckerleg, the Mayor of Penzance with the Lady Mayoress, was at 50.1280°N 5.5183°W / 50.1280; -5.5183.

Due to the high costs of maintaining the service and falling passenger numbers, British International Helicopters ceased the operation of the helicopter route on 31 October 2012.^[5] The company announced that it intended to sell the heliport to a supermarket chain^[6] and relocate to another site in West Cornwall to raise funds, although no suitable alternative site was found in time to save the service.

In early April 2013, demolition work on the main terminal buildings began, and by September 2013, nothing remained of the former heliport, with a supermarket chain now dominating the site.

New heliport

In 2016 plans were announced for a new helicopter service between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly, serving both St Mary's and Tresco. The proposals include building a new heliport on Jelbert Way, Penzance, near to the location of the old one.^[7] The planning application received the highest level of support Cornwall Council had ever received for a planning application.^[8]

Planning consent for the new heliport was first granted in a unanimous decision by Cornwall Council's Strategic Planning Committee in February 2017.^[9] The decision was later challenged by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company in a judicial review.^[10] A petition against the Judicial Review gained more than 11,000 signatures^[11] and an amended planning application was submitted.^[12]

The amended application was granted planning consent in a second unanimous decision by Cornwall Council in August 2018.^[13]

The new heliport was built during 2018 and 2019, with services commencing in March 2020, flying to the islands of St Mary's and Tresco.^[14][2]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Starspeed	Tresco,[15][14] St Mary’s

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at PZE airport. See Wikidata query.

References

1. Penzance – EGHK
2. "Home | Penzance Helicopters". penzancehelicopters.co.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
3. The Windsor Star, Saturday 19 December 1964.
4. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
5. British International Final Press Release, 1 August 2012. Archived here. Archived 14 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
6. Isles of Scilly Steamship Company rules out Lands End Airport move
7. "Penzance Heliport | Reinstating the Isles of Scilly Helicopter Service". Penzance Heliport Ltd. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
8. "Plans changed for heliport to link Cornwall and Scilly". Pirate FM. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
9. "Planning Permission Granted for New Heliport – Penzance Heliport". Penzance Heliport. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
10. "Judicial review for helicopter link". BBC News. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
11. "PETITION FOR A HELICOPTER SERVICE BETWEEN PENZANCE AND THE ISLES OF SCILLY". Campaigns by You. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
12. Gainey, Tom (14 September 2017). "The plans for Penzance heliport have changed". cornwalllive. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
13. "Two-million pound heliport approved". BBC News. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
14. "Fly Direct to Tresco Island with Penzance Helicopters | Tresco Island".
15. "Starspeed wins UK Penzance Helicopters contract".

External links

• Penzance Heliport
• Information on scheduled flights to the Isles of Scilly