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Longest Runway in the UK

​When the satellite airfield at Collyweston airfield was absorbed by Wittering in 1941 the grass E/W runway was extended to 14,400ft (4,389m). The runway was recorded at this length between late 1941 and 1951/2 when the airfield was upgraded and a single concrete runway built. During this period Wittering was classed as a Master Diversion Airfield.

London Heathrow 09L/27R at 12,799ft x 164ft (3,902m x 50m) is currently the longest active runway in the UK.

Runway Lengths in the UK & Ireland

I, like many others often get told that this airfield or that airfield has the longest runway in the UK, I thought that I would do a little bit of research on this. Using various sources including Flight Guides, AIP's, Site Plans, Google Earth Distance Tool, Aeronautical Charts and other references I have started putting together a list. 

This list is by no means 100% accurate but it is intended as a rough list starting with the longest runway going down to the shortest. It will not be a complete list of airfields in the UK as there are far too many to list but I will include what I feel relevant. As this is not intended to be a definitive list, those of you who are interested in runway lengths should continue their own research on them. 

Runway lengths do change over time, some have got longer, some shorter.  Please not that Active refers to a state that the runway is in use, those marked as Disused are either shut, returned to agriculture, built on or something else that prevents them from being used. * Indicates occasional use and is still MoD owned.

Any mistakes are my own, do not use this for flight planning and please check the status of any airfield should you take it upon yourself to fly there. 
​
LOCATION
Wittering (Incl Colyweston)
​​Heathrow
​Heathrow
​Manchester
​Gatwick
​Bedford (Thurleigh)
​Boscombe Down
​Shannon
​Elvington
​Birmingham
​Brize Norton
​Bruntingthorpe
Chelveston
​Greenham Common
​Stansted
​Fairford
Machrihanish
​Manchester
​Upper Heyford
​Prestwick
​Doncaster (Finningley)
​East Midlands
​Mildenhall
​Belfast (Aldergrove)
​Marham
​Wethersfield
​Alconbury
​Cottesmore
​Gaydon
​Manston
Sturgate (planned)
​​Wittering
​Woodbridge
​Coningsby
​Lakenheath
​Newquay (St Mawgan)
​Scampton
​Sculthorpe
​Waddington
​Wyton
​Bentwaters
East Kirkby (planned)
​Farnborough
Leuchars
Sturgate (actual)
​Filton
Shepherds Grove
​Lyneham
​Cardiff (Rhoose)
​Coltishall
Teeside (Middleton St George)
​​Liverpool (John Lennon Intl)
​Bournemouth (Hurn)
​Luton
​Kemble (Cotswold Airport)
​Bristol (Lulsgate Bottom)
​Southend (Rochford)
​Cambridge (Teversham)
​Boscombe Down
​Prestwick
​​Belfast (Aldergrove)
​Lyneham
​Norwich (Horsham St Faith)
​St Athan
​London City
​Eday
​Eday
​Papa Westray
​Westray
Westray
​Papa Westray
COUNTY (Historic)
Northamptonshire
​Middlesex
Middlesex
​Cheshire
​Sussex
​Bedfordshire
​Wiltshire
​​County Clare
​Yorkshire
​Warwickshire
​Oxfordshire
​Leicestershire
Northamptonshire
​Berkshire
​Essex
Gloucestershire
Argyll
​Cheshire
​Oxfordshire
​Ayrshire
​Yorkshire
​Leicestershire
​Suffolk
​Antrim
​Norfolk
​Essex
​Huntingdonshire
​Rutland
​Warwickshire
​Kent
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
​Suffolk
​Lincolnshire
​Suffolk
​Cornwall
​Lincolnshire
​Norfolk
​Lincolnshire
​Huntingdonshire
​Suffolk
Lincolnshire
​Hampshire
Fife
Lincolnshire
​Gloucestershire
Suffolk
​Wiltshire
​Glamorgan
​Norfolk
Yorkshire
​Lancashire (Merseyside)
​Hamshire
​Bedfordshire
​Gloucestershire
​Somerset
​Essex
​Cambridgeshire
​Wiltshire
​Ayrshire
​Antrim
​Wiltshire
​Norfolk
​Glamorgan
​Kent
Orkney Islands
​​Orkney Islands​
​Orkney Islands
​Orkney Islands​
​​​Orkney Islands​
​​​​Orkney Islands​
RUNWAY
E / W
​09L / 27R
09R / 27L
​05R / 23L
​08R / 26L
​09 / 27
​05 / 23
​06 / 24
​08 / 26
​15 / 33
​08 / 26
​06 / 24
​04 / 22
​10 / 28
​04 / 22
​09 / 27
​11 / 29
​05L / 23R
​09 / 27
​12 / 30
​02 / 20
​09 / 27
​11 / 29
​07 / 25
​06 / 24
​10 / 28
​12 / 30
​04 / 22
​05 / 23
​10 / 28
​10 / 28
​08 / 26
​09 / 27
​07 / 25
​06 / 24
​12 / 30
​04 / 22
​06 / 24
​02 / 20
​09 / 27
​07 / 25
​08 / 26
​06 / 24
​09 / 27
​10 / 28
​09 / 27
02 / 20
​06 / 24
​12 / 30
​04 / 22
​​05 / 23
​09 / 27
​08 / 26
​08 / 26
​08 / 26
​09 / 27
​​05 / 23
​05 / 23
​17 / 35
​03 / 21
​17 / 35
​18 / 36
​09 / 27
​08 / 26
​09 / 27
18 / 36 (Grass)
​07 / 25
​04 / 22
​09 / 27
​13 / 31 (Grass)
​07 / 25 (Grass)
LENGTH (ft)
14,400ft
​12,799 ft
​12,304 ft
​10,751 ft
​10,685 ft
​10,484 ft
​10,529 ft
​10,499 ft
​10,126 ft
​10,010 ft
​10,033 ft
​10,032 ft
10,022 ft
​10,054 ft
​10,016 ft
​10,005 ft
​10,002 ft
​9,998 ft
9,588 ft
​9,799 ft
​9,485 ft
​9,486 ft
9,217 ft
​9,141 ft
​9,135 ft
​9,091 ft
​9,003 ft
​9,008 ft
​9,053 ft
​9,030 ft
9,023 ft
9,032 ft
​9,016 ft
​9,002 ft
​8,996 ft
​8,986 ft
​9,000 ft
​8,997 ft
​8,991 ft
​8,982 ft
​8,943 ft
8,936 ft
​8,504 ft
8,490 ft
8,020 ft
​8,081 ft
7,940 ft
​7,826 ft
​7,714 ft
​7,487 ft
7,517 ft
​7,497 ft
​7,460 ft
​7,085 ft
​6,591 ft
​6,586 ft
6,472 ft
​6,447 ft
​6,321 ft
​6,254 ft
​6,191 ft
​5,995 ft
​6,033 ft
​5,994 ft
​4,928 ft
​1,699 ft
​1,521 ft
​1,532 ft
​1,529 ft
1,381 ft
​1,096 ft
LENGTH (miles)
2.73 miles
​2.42 miles
​2.33 miles
​2.04 miles
​2.02 miles
​1.99 miles
​1.99 miles
​1.99 miles
​1.92 miles
​1.90 miles
​1.90 miles
​1.90 miles
​1.90 miles
​1.90 miles
​1.90 miles
​1.89 miles
​1.89 miles
​1.89 miles
​1.87 miles
​1.86 miles
​1.80 miles
​1.80 miles
1.74 miles
​1.73 miles
​1.73 miles
​1.72 miles
​1.71 miles
​1.71 miles
​1.71 miles
​1.71 miles
​1.71 miles
​1.71 miles
​1.71 miles
​1.70 miles
​​1.70 miles
1.70 miles
​1.70 miles
1.70 miles
​1.70 miles
​1.70 miles
​1.69 miles
​1.69 miles
​1.61 miles
​1.61 miles
1.59 miles
​1.53 miles
1.5 miles
​1.48 miles
​1.46 miles
​1.42 miles
1.42 miles
​1.41 miles
​1.41 miles
​1.34 miles
​1.25 miles
​1.25 miles
​1.23 miles
​1.22 miles
​1.20 miles
​1.18 miles
​1.17 miles
​1.14 miles
​1.14 miles
​1.14 miles
​0.93 miles
​0.32 miles
0.29 miles
​0.29 miles
​​0.29 miles
​0.26 miles
0.21 miles
STATUS
Extinct
​Active
Active
​Active
​Active
​Disused
​Active
​Active
​Disused
​Active
​Active
​Disused
Extinct
​Extinct
​Active
Active 
Active
​Active
​Disused
​Active
​Active
Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Disused
​Disused
​Disused
​Disused
Disused
​Disused
​Active
​Active *
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
Active *
​Active
​Disused
​Disused
​Disused
​Active
​Active
​Disused
​Disused
​Extinct
​Disused
​Active
​Disused
Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
Active
​Active
​Disused
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
​Active
ICAO
----
​EGLL
EGLL
EGCC
EGKK
​EGVW
​EGDM
EINN
----
EGBB
EGVN
----
----
----
EGSS
EGVA
EGEC
EGCC
EGUA
EGPK
EGCN
EGNX
EGUN
EGAA
EGYM
----
----
​EGXJ
----
EGMH
----
EGXT
----
EGXC
EGUL
EGEN
​EGXP
EGUP
​EGXW
EGUY
----
----
​EGLF
---
----
​EGTG
----
​EGDL
​EGFF
​EGYC
----
​EGGP
​EGHH
EGGW
​EGBP
​EGGD
​EGMC
​EGSC
​EGDM
EGPK
EGAA
​EGDL
EGSH
​EGDX
EGLC
EGED
EGED
EGEP
EGEW
EGEW
​EGEP
IATA
---
​LHR
LHR
MAN
LGW
​---
​---
SNN
---
BHX
BZZ
---
---
---
STN
FFD
CAL
MAN
---
PIK
DSA
EMA
MHZ
BFS
MRH
---
---
​---
---
MSE
---
---
---
QCY
LKZ
NQY
​SQZ
---
​WTN
QUY
---
---
​FAB
---
---
​FZO
---
​LYE
​CWL
CLF
---
​LPL
​​BOH
LTN
​GBA
​BRS
​SEN
​CBG
​---
PIK
BFS
​LYE
​NWI
​DGX
LCY
EOI
EOI
PPW
WRY
WRY
​PPW
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UK Airfields (previously known as 'Airfields & Aviation Memorials').
Copyright © 1977 - 2025.
All photos taken by Richard E Flagg unless stated otherwise.
No images or content may be reproduced without prior written permission.

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