About

History

Swansea Airport stands on a site with deep aviation roots. Before operating as Swansea Airport, the airfield was known as RAF Fairwood Common.

During the wartime period, Fairwood Common played an operational role as part of the wider air defence and training network. Its location on the Gower Peninsula gave it a strategic position, and over time the airfield developed infrastructure that shaped its later civil use.

In the post-war years, the site evolved from military use into a civilian aerodrome. That transition reflected the broader story of many UK airfields, where former RAF stations became local centres for flight training, private aviation, and community flying activity.

Today, Swansea Airport continues that legacy. While the role of the airfield has changed, its connection to aviation history remains central to its identity, linking RAF Fairwood Common's past with present-day operations serving Swansea and the surrounding region.