Just where are our airports?
Updated on 18 August 2009
As Oxford Airport rebrands itself London Oxford Airport, Channel 4 News Online asks: how close are our airports to their namesake locations? Do you know of others?
Oxford Airport has been renamed London Oxford Airport in an effort to bring in more business despite being more than 60 miles away from London.
The airport's marketing manager, James Dillion Godfray, defended the move, saying it would raise the airport's profile overseas to people who may not be aware of its existence.
He also cited other airports whose names were at odds with their location: "There are plenty of other examples around the world where airports are further away from cities."
Channel 4 News online has compiled a list, using Google Maps, of all the major UK airports and identified how far they are from their namesakes.
Do you know of other airports around the world that were further away from the cities in their names than you realised? Send your suggestions to news@channel4.com
View our Just where are our airports? map in a larger window
From runway to namesake, just how far is it?
Using a Google Maps, and taking the first suggested route from the airport to the name indicated in its title, we have compiled the below list.
Most airports were found to be within 10 miles of their namesake, but a few - notably London's satellite airports - stretched the geographical definition to its limits. London Oxford (64.3 miles), London Stansted (37.9 miles) and London Luton (34.3 miles).
Elsewhere in the UK, Durham Tees Valley Airport takes the traveller some 26.6 miles to Durham, while Glasgow Prestwick Airport is a tidy step further from Glasgow than Glasgow Airport - 32.6 miles as opposed to 8.9 miles respectively.
Robin Hood Doncaster Airport earns two entries - despite being only 7.5 miles to Doncaster, it is more than 40 miles to Nottingham, home of fabled legend that its name might suggest.
But the clear winner has to go to London Ashford Lydd Airport, a whopping 73.4 miles from the English capital... Thanks to @avaragado for the tip.
Full list below.
Aberdeen Airport
Distance to Aberdeen city centre: 6.8 miles
Birmingham International Airport
Distance to Birmingham city centre: 14.6 miles
Belfast City Airport
Distance to Belfast city centre: 3.1 miles
Bristol Airport
Distance to Bristol city centre: 8.2 miles
Bournemouth International Airport
Distance to Bournemouth city centre: 7.6 miles
Cardiff International Airport
Distance to Cardiff city centre: 13.8 miles
Durham Tees Valley Airport
Distances to Durham city centre: 26.6 miles
East Midlands Airport
Distance to East Midlands region: 0 miles.
Edinburgh Airport
Distance to Edinburgh city centre: 8.2 miles
Exeter International Airport
Distance to Exeter city centre: 6.8 miles
Glasgow Airport
Distance to Glasgow city centre: 8.9 miles
Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Distance to Glasgow city centre: 32.6 miles
Humberside Airport
Distance to Humberside county: 0 miles.
Leeds Bradford Airport
Distance to Leeds city centre: 9.1 miles
Liverpool Airport
Distance to Liverpool city centre: 8.4 miles
London Ashford Lydd Airport
Distance to London: 73.4 miles
London City Airport
Distance to London city centre: 9.5 miles
London Gatwick Airport
Distance to London city centre: 29.5 miles
London Heathrow Airport
Distance to London city centre: 15.9 miles
London Luton Airport
Distance to London city airport: 34.3 miles
London Oxford Airport
Distance to London: 64.3 miles
London Stansted Airport
Distance to London city centre: 37.9 miles
London Southend Airport
Distance to London: 42.5 miles
Manchester Airport
Distance to Manchester city centre: 9.8 miles
Newcastle International Airport
Distance to Newcastle city centre: 7.2 miles
Norwich International Airport
Distance to Norwich city centre: 3.5 miles
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster
Distance to Doncaster city centre: 7.5 miles.
Distance to Nottingham city centre: 42.2 miles.
Southampton International Airport
Distance to Southampton city centre: 3.3 miles
