Croydon Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Greater London Urban Area | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Croydon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 29 March 1920 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 30 September 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hub for | British European Airways | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°21′23″N 000°07′02″W / 51.35639°N 0.11722°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
  EGCR Location in Greater London | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Croydon Airport (ICAO: EGCR)[a] was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period.[1][2] It opened in 1920, located near Croydon, then part of Surrey. Built in a Neoclassical style,[3] it was developed as Britain's main airport, handling more cargo, mail, and passengers than any other UK airport at the time.[2] Innovations at the site included the world's first air traffic control and the first airport terminal.[2] During World War II the airport was named RAF Croydon as its role changed to that of a fighter airfield during the Battle of Britain; and in 1943 RAF Transport Command was founded at the site, which used the airport to transport thousands of troops into and out of Europe.[2]
After the Second World War, its role returned to civil aviation, but the role of London's primary international airport passed to London Heathrow Airport. Croydon Airport closed in 1959. It had been known under eight different names while it was active.[2]
In 1978, the terminal building and Gate Lodge were granted protection as Grade II listed buildings.[4] In May 2017, Historic England raised the status of the terminal building to Grade II*.[2] Owing to disrepair, the Gate Lodge is now classified as Heritage at Risk by Historic England.[5]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Council, Sutton. "Croydon Airport". www.sutton.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Basing, Tavis. "Historic Airport | Historic Croydon Airport". Croydonairport.org.uk. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
- ^ Historic England. "Airport House (Croydon) (1188970)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ Historic England. "Former Lodge To Croydon Airport Terminal (1079299)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- ^ England, Historic (26 October 2017). "Heritage at Risk 2017 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2017.