Barra Airport guide

Barra Airport sits at the northern tip of the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, on the Traigh Mhor sands. Its runways are the beach itself: three sand strips laid out in a triangle, 680 to 846 metres long. They are covered by the sea at high tide, so departure times change daily with the tides. It is believed to be the only airport in the world where scheduled flights use a tidal beach.

The airfield opened in 1936, and a de Havilland Dragon was the first airliner to land there. It is not licensed for night use, though emergency flights have landed after dark using vehicle lights and reflective strips on the sand. A 2011 PrivateFly poll voted its approach the best in the world.

Loganair is the only airline, flying to Glasgow. Highlands and Islands Airports Limited runs the airport. Passengers have not been screened on departure since 2017. A refurbishment costing 1.5 million pounds in 2024 added wall insulation, paving and decking, and a modernised cafe and lobby. The airport handled 11,822 passengers and 1,345 aircraft movements in 2025.