From a Royal visit to a menagerie of majestic aircraft arriving into Newcastle Airport, the anniversary proved to be an unforgettable day. A British Airways Jumbo Jet, Boeing 747-400, landed at Newcastle International in the morning of the 26th July 2010, followed by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER. Jet2.com and KLM also played a part in the day.
The Airport was honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester to the North East as he began his visit to the region with a tour of the Airport. The visit came to an end with a small reception and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
Dave Laws, the airport's chief executive, said: “This year is very special for Newcastle International as we reflect on our incredible history and take a positive look forward to an exciting future. We felt extremely proud on the anniversary day itself and were delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester was able to take the time to join us. The support we received from our valued airline partners by them operating aircraft rarely seen at Newcastle was just incredible. We hope the people of the North East enjoyed the day - it’s their Airport after all.”
On the first day of the Airport's existence in 1935, a Dragon Rapide airplane landed on North East soil at midday carrying the then Air Minister, Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, who performed an opening ceremony. To replicate this event, an original vintage Dragon Rapide aircraft landed at 12pm before taking invited guests into the skies on pleasure flights throughout the afternoon. Philip Meeson, boss of Jet2.com, is the proud owner of the timeless aircraft. A KLM B737 UK957 arrived on its daily rotation from Amsterdam, sporting the original 1930’s KLM colour scheme.
As well as bringing in their Jumbo Jet, British Airways also displayed their Hot Air Balloon, which was tethered on site. Passengers travelling on Emirates’ daily Dubai service were able to experience its state-of-the-art Boeing 777-300ER on this special day only. The two-class, 428-seat aircraft is one of 86 from the Boeing 777 family in service with the Emirates fleet worldwide. This aircraft is the longest to land at the airport in its 75 year history.
The 75th anniversary of Newcastle International was marked throughout the year with a number of other events:
• At the beginning of the year an anniversary brand was commissioned;
• A ‘75th Anniversary’ Metro carriage was created to travel the length and breadth of Tyne and Wear on a daily basis;
• A commemorative book was published on the 26th July in association with NCJ media;
• An exhibition of archive photography and memorabilia toured the North East;
• Members of the Airport team took part in a 75 mile bike ride from the original terminal for charity and manager, Eric Wrightson, completed a 75 mile sponsored walk;
• A special Gala Dinner was held in September for Newcastle International business partners and stakeholders; and
• A carol service was held with the local community at St Mary's Church in Ponteland.