Ramsgate Airport

Ramsgate Airport was a civil airfield at Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom which opened in July 1935. It was briefly taken over by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, becoming RAF Ramsgate. The airfield was then closed and obstructed to prevent its use. It reopened in 1953 and served until final closure in 1968. The site has now been redeveloped as an industrial estate.

Ramsgate was selected to be the site of a Landing Ground during the First World War, but no work was carried out. Built at a cost of £26,000, Ramsgate Airport opened on 1 July 1935, on a 90-acre site. With the opening of the airport, Hillman's Airways inaugurated a service to Belgium. As Ostend Airport was not then ready, services were initially to Le Zoute Airfield, Knokke. Four services per day were operated. The airport was operated by Ramsgate Airport Ltd, which was registered as a private limited company on 20 July 1935 with capital of £5,000 in £1 shares. The directors were a Mr F Gwatkin, Richard Seaman and Whitney Straight. The official opening ceremony was performed by the Mayor of Ramsgate, who was then flown to Belgium in a de Havilland Dragon by Neville Stack. A representative from Crilly Airways also attended the dinner to celebrate the opening of the airport. Customs facilities were provided within a month of the airport opening. In October 1935, plans were made to extend the airport, with a control tower and a hangar amongst the facilities to be provided.

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