Sumburgh Airport

About Sumburgh Airport

Sumburgh Airport (IATA: LSI, ICAO: EGPB) is the main airport for the Shetland Islands. It sits at the southern tip of Shetland Mainland in the parish of Dunrossness, about 25 miles (40 km) south of Lerwick, and is operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), a company wholly owned by the Scottish Ministers. According to UK Civil Aviation Authority figures, the airport handled 282,238 terminal passengers in 2025, making it the second busiest HIAL airport after Inverness.

The airport has a varied mix of traffic. Loganair operates the scheduled passenger flights to mainland Scotland and Orkney, while helicopters carry offshore workers to oil and gas installations in the North Sea. HM Coastguard also has a search and rescue helicopter based here, and the UK Aeronautical Information Publication notes that it may operate at any time of day or night.

There are two main runways: 09/27, which is 1,498 metres long, and 15/33, at 1,424 metres, both surfaced with asphalt. A separate helicopter runway, 06/24, is used for rotary-wing operations. Unusually, a public road crosses one of the runways. The A970 passes over the western end of runway 09/27, and barriers close the road to traffic before any fixed-wing aircraft lands or takes off. HIAL also points out that the airport is close to Sumburgh Head, which is known for its puffin colony.

How to get to Sumburgh Airport

By road

The A970 is the main road south from Lerwick to Sumburgh, and the drive covers roughly 25 miles. Because the road crosses the runway, drivers must stay on the marked route between the barriers, must not stop on the crossing and must follow any instructions from airport staff.

Short and long stay parking is available on site, a short walk from the terminal, along with a free drop-off point. Accessible parking bays are provided in a smaller car park, and Blue Badge holders can park free of charge when travelling on inter-island flights. The car parks use a ticketless system based on number plate recognition, with payment at pay stations in the terminal, by QR code or at the exit barrier. An electric vehicle charging point is located in the old small car park near the pick-up and drop-off area.

Taxis can usually be found directly outside the terminal entrance, and staff can help if none is waiting. The UK AIP lists car hire among the transport options at the airport.

By bus and coach

Service 6 (South Mainland) stops right outside the terminal and runs roughly hourly between the airport and Lerwick. Timetables are published by ZetTrans, the Shetland transport partnership.

Terminal and facilities

Sumburgh has a single passenger terminal. Verified facilities include:

• A shop, opened in October 2024, selling souvenirs, locally made gifts, work by Shetland artists, snacks and soft drinks
• The West Voe Quiet Room in the departure lounge, opened in November 2024 with adjustable lighting, comfortable seating and sensory toy bags
• Catering in the terminal, listed in the UK AIP as a buffet and bar
• Accessible parking bays and an assistance and accessibility service for passengers who need help

Airlines and destinations

Loganair is the only airline operating scheduled passenger flights from Sumburgh. HIAL lists routes to Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Kirkwall, which give connections to the rest of the UK and beyond. Loganair also operates a seasonal summer service to Bergen in Norway.

In summer 2026 Loganair reduced its flights between Inverness and the islands, including the Inverness, Kirkwall and Sumburgh service, to weekends only. After the Scottish Government announced funding in August 2026, weekday flights are due to resume from 26 October 2026.

Alongside scheduled flights, Sumburgh remains an important base for offshore helicopter services supporting North Sea oil and gas operations, and for HM Coastguard search and rescue flights.

History

HIAL records that the first aircraft landed at Sumburgh on 19 April 1933. The airfield's inaugural flight was made in June 1936 by Captain E. E. Fresson of Highland Airways, a pioneer of air services in the north of Scotland. During the Second World War the site was requisitioned by the Air Ministry and used by the Royal Air Force, including No. 404 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, in support of coastal operations.

In the 1960s and 1970s the runway was lengthened and helicopter operations grew to serve the North Sea oil and gas industry. Sumburgh was one of the eight airports taken on by HIAL when the Civil Aviation Authority incorporated the company in 1986, and ownership of HIAL later passed to the Scottish Ministers following devolution. More recent investment includes a facilities upgrade completed in 2017, a £2.9 million rehabilitation of the helicopter runway finished in December 2022, and the new shop and quiet room that opened in 2024.