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London may seem like the UK’s hub for airports, with tourists wishing to fly close to the capital to take in many of the country’s most famous attractions.
However, despite many featuring the city’s name in their titles, only two airports are actually situated in London, with many located in completely different counties.
The capital’s airport that is the furthest away from the city centre is London Oxford Airport, located 62 miles North West in Cherwell, Oxfordshire.
Previously branded Kidlington Airport, London Oxford is privately owned and mainly used for business aviation, however some private flights also utilise the space.
Open from 6.30am to 10.30pm, the tiny airport only has one runway, no duty free shops and a grass-covered visitor’s car park.
First opened in 1935, London Oxford Airport was originally used as a municipal airport, before being utilised by the RAF to train pilots and maintain jets during the Second World War.
The airport was also previously the site of the Oxford Gliding Club and remains the headquarters of Airbus Helicopters.
Sold to property entrepreneurs David Reuben and Simon Reuben in 2007, the airport soon rebranded to London Oxford and began a number of flight journeys to destinations such as Jersey, Geneva and Edinburgh.
Currently, the majority of flights that depart from London Oxford Airport travel to other destinations within the UK, including the capital, Guernsey and a number of local sites such as Cranfield in Bedfordshire.
However, tourists are able to use the airport to travel to a number of popular destinations in mainland Europe, such as Cannes, Athens, and Malaga.
Whilst tourists using the airport are unable to bag a bargain from duty free at London Oxford Airport, they can get a snack from the cafe or shop and wait in the lounge before their flight.
However, despite its tiny size, London Oxford is by no means the smallest airport that bears the name of the capital.
London Southend Airport is the tiniest airport in the area, featuring a single runway.
Built in 1935, London Southend was once the third most popular airport in the country. However, passenger numbers declined during the 1970s when larger airports opened across the UK.
Nevertheless, whilst Heathrow Airport carries more than 500 times the amount of passengers, London Southend is used by Easyjet, who fly to destinations such as Paris, Amsterdam, and Alicante.
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