THERE have been several attempts since the Second World War to use the runways of Walney airfield for scheduled commercial flights, with the 1980s seeing the greatest success.

Air Furness was active at Walney from 1984 and on Monday, June 2, in 1986, started a five-days-a-week service to Manchester using a £215,000 Britten-Norman Islander.

Managing director Captain David Thackeray told the Mail a couple of days later: “We’ve even had a number of direct bookings from companies in London so the word is obviously getting around.

There were to be four return flights each day with the trip from Walney to Manchester taking as little as 28 minutes.

A return fare was £50 and it was hoped that up to 8,000 people would use the service each year.

There was a public share offer in 1988, to raise £2m for expansion plans, but a shipyard strike saw flights suspended.

Companies such as Northern Airways, Air Ecosse and Telair tried with varying success to established scheduled flights from Walney to places like Blackpool, Liverpool, Carlisle, Aberdeen and Ireland.

Walney Airfield has seen a number of royal arrivals, including the Queen and Princess Diana.

The airfield was also the venue for a spectacular air show held in 2005.