Scatsta Airport

The closure was driven by economic factors, specifically the downturn in the oil and gas industry. The airport's primary function was to serve the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal. In late 2019, the oil company EnQuest, a major partner in the terminal, announced it would terminate its contract for flights into Scatsta as a cost-saving measure. Operations were consolidated to the main public airport in Shetland, Sumburgh Airport (LSI/EGPB), which is located at the southern tip of the islands. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the decline in passenger traffic, making the airport's operation financially unsustainable. The final scheduled flight departed on June 30, 2020.

The airport is permanently closed to all air traffic and is non-operational. The operating company, Serco, ceased management upon its closure. The infrastructure, including the runway, taxiways, and terminal building, still exists but is not maintained for aviation purposes. The site is part of the industrial area surrounding the Sullom Voe Terminal. There is no public access, and the site is effectively being decommissioned along with parts of the wider oil terminal complex as North Sea production declines.

Scatsta Airport had a significant dual history. It was originally constructed in 1940 as RAF Scatsta, a Royal Air Force fighter station during World War II. Its strategic location was crucial for protecting the North Atlantic convoys and the naval fleet at Scapa Flow. After the war, it fell into disuse.

The airport was completely rebuilt and reopened in 1978 to support the construction and operation of the adjacent Sullom Voe Oil Terminal, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. For over 40 years, it was a critical piece of infrastructure for the UK's North Sea oil and gas industry. It functioned as a private-use airport, handling a massive volume of charter flights carrying oil and gas workers between the UK mainland (primarily Aberdeen) and Shetland. At its peak, it was one of the UK's busiest airports in terms of aircraft movements, largely due to the high frequency of helicopter flights. Major helicopter operators like Bristow and CHC Scotia used Scatsta as a primary base for transporting personnel to and from offshore platforms in the East Shetland Basin. Fixed-wing services were operated by airlines such as Loganair, Eastern Airways, and others, using aircraft like the Saab 2000, ATR 42/72, and Dash 8. During its operational life, its official ICAO code was EGPM and its IATA code was SCS.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Scatsta Airport for either commercial or private aviation. The economic rationale for its existence has disappeared with the consolidation of oil and gas logistics to Sumburgh Airport. While there have been various speculative discussions in the region about future uses for industrial sites, including potential links to renewable energy or aerospace, no concrete proposals involving the reactivation of the Scatsta runway have been put forward. The focus for new aerospace development in Shetland is concentrated on the SaxaVord Spaceport project on the island of Unst.