A £20m UK airport which was once the biggest in the world is now abandoned after it was forced to scrap flights more than 60 years ago.

Croydon Airport opened in 1920 by merging Beddington and Waddon aerodromes, becoming RAF Station Croydon. 

Over the next decade, it expanded significantly, featuring the world’s first purpose-built airport terminal, air traffic control tower, and airport hotel—the Aerodrome Hotel, which cost around £267,000 (equivalent to £20 million today).

At its peak, Croydon Airport was the world’s largest and the UK’s first major international airport, offering flights to Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam, as well as long-haul routes to India, the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia. 

It was also where the “Mayday” distress signal originated.

Notable figures like Winston Churchill, who took flying lessons there, and Amy Johnson, who completed her record-breaking flight to Australia in 1930, were among the whole host of celebrities who used the airport in south London.

The airport closed to the public in 1939 with the outbreak of WWII but served as a base for fighter aircraft. 

Its significance made it a target, and in 1940, it was bombed during one of London’s early air raids. 

After the war, other London airports expanded, and Croydon lost its status as the UK’s main airport to Heathrow in 1946. It eventually closed in 1958 after Gatwick was redeveloped.

Today, remnants of Croydon Airport, including the control tower and arrivals hall, have been preserved as the Croydon Airport Visitor Centre. 

Open to the public once a month, with free entry and a suggested donation of £8, tours last about 45 minutes and include access to a gift shop and café. 

The next opening is on July 7, with tickets available starting June 23. 

Visitors can also stay nearby at the London Croydon Aerodrome Hotel, with rooms starting from £44. Croydon Airport isn’t the only defunct airport in the UK. 

Manston Airport in Kent, closed in 2014, has plans to relaunch flights, starting with cargo and potentially expanding to passenger services by 2028. 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which shut in 2022, is also eyeing a reopening, with TUI expressing interest in returning. 

Similarly, Plymouth Airport, closed for 13 years, has shown interest in reopening despite facing opposition.