There has been an airport in Speke for over 90 years, but it has taken many different forms during that time.
The international airport which stands today is a far cry from the first Liverpool airport, which was built in the grounds of Speke Hall. It had its first scheduled flight in 1930, but didn’t open officially until 1933.
It was met with significant passenger demand, specifically for trips across the Irish Sea. A passenger terminal, two aircraft hangars and a control tower were built to allow it to function properly.
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However, Speke Airport was commandeered by the Royal Air Force during WWII. RAF Speke was often used to test military aircraft and hard runways were installed to replace cut grass strips.
Planes were also constructed by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation for the air force at Speke, including the Hudson - a light bomber and reconnaissance plane - and the P-51 Mustang - a fighter-bomber.
Speke also saw dogfights during the war - including what was said to be the quickest kill in the Battle of Britain and possibly the fastest air-to-air combat kill of all time. In charge of a Hawker Hurricane, Flight Lieutenant Denys Gillam shot down a German Junkers Ju 88 as he was taking off.
The Hurricane’s undercarriage was still retracting as the Junkers fell to earth. Gillam, Alois Vašátko and Josef Stehlík from the Czechoslovak 312 Squadron based at Speke were all credited with the kill. The moment is captured in Robert Taylor’s painting called Fastest Victory.
Following the war, as civil aviation resumed at the airport, it continued to serve more passengers than Manchester Airport. However, Liverpool airport's progress as a passenger terminal stalled, with many blaming government ownership, and Manchester began to serve more people from 1949.
The city of Liverpool took control of the airport from the government in the 1960s and a new runway opened in 1966, allowing it to function 24 hours a day.
A new modern terminal, adjacent to the new runway, opened in 1986. The 1930s terminal was closed and renovated to become a hotel, which is currently run by Crowne Plaza.
Four years later, the airport moved from public control to the private sector as British Aerospace bought a 76% stake. Since then, it has become a subsidiary of Peel Holdings.
In 2001, 21 years after the death of John Lennon, the airport was renamed in his honour. More change was to come the following year as the airport tripled in size when a new £42.5m terminal opened in 2002.
The new terminal turned Liverpool John Lennon Airport into the site that stands today. New developments, such as a multi-story car park and new hotels have also sprung up since.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Liverpool John Lennon Airport served over 5 million passengers a year and flew to over 70 destinations across the UK and Europe. After a challenging couple of years for the aviation industry, it is showing signs of recovery and enjoyed a busy Easter period.
