Introduction
Cotswold Airport: Premier General Aviation and Aerospace Hub
Cotswold Airport (ICAO: EGBP, IATA: GBA) is a prominent private airfield in Gloucestershire, England. The airfield operates as a versatile general aviation hub, flight training centre, and prominent airliner storage and recycling facility, handling private charters, flight schools, and large commercial airliners on its full-length runway.
General Information
- Full Name: Cotswold Airport (historically RAF Kemble / Kemble Airfield)
- ICAO Code: EGBP
- IATA Code: GBA
- Airport Type: Private / General Aviation
- Owner: Ronan Harvey (Cotswold Airport Holding Company Ltd.)
- Operator: Kemble Air Services Limited
- Address: Cotswold Airport, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BA, United Kingdom
- Geographic Coordinates: 51° 40′ 05″ N, 002° 03′ 25″ W
History
Constructed in 1936, the station opened in 1938 as RAF Kemble. During World War II, it served as an Air Transport Auxiliary ferry pool and aircraft preparation unit. Between 1966 and 1983, the base gained worldwide fame as the home station of the Royal Air Force Red Arrows display team. Following their departure, the United States Air Force utilized the airfield for military maintenance until operations ceased in 1992.
Civilian flying resumed in 1995, and Ronan Harvey purchased the airfield from the Ministry of Defence in 2001. Renamed Cotswold Airport in 2009, the site evolved into a leading European centre for airliner maintenance, storage, and decommissioning through Air Salvage International. In 2020, the airport preserved a British Airways Boeing 747-400 (G-CIVB “Negus”) as a permanent events venue.
Specifications
- Airfield Area: 215 hectares (approximately 532 acres)
- Elevation AMSL: 133 metres (436 feet)
- Main Runway (08/26): 2,009 metres long by 45 metres wide; asphalt surface
- Secondary Runway (08/26 Grass): 560 metres long by 18 metres wide; grass surface
- Primary Users: General aviation pilots, flying academies, executive corporate flights, zero-emission aerospace testing firms, and aircraft recycling specialists
- Annual Flight Movements: Approximately 34,000 movements per year
- Passenger Volumes: Zero scheduled commercial passengers; dedicated strictly to non-scheduled private charters, pilot training, and ferried aircraft
- Aircraft Handling Capability: Certified for aircraft up to wide-body airliners, including the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340
- Dimensions & Infrastructure: The airport grounds contain multiple large hangars, an integrated business park, an air traffic flight information unit, and extensive hardstanding apron areas for airliner storage.
- Future Plans: Cotswold Airport aims to reach net-zero carbon operations by 2030 through large-scale solar power infrastructure. Management also actively supports next-generation sustainable flight development, hosting trials for hydrogen-electric and electric vertical takeoff (eVTOL) technology companies.