Departure
90%
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MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Haverfordwest Airport, also known as Withybush Airport, lies two nautical miles north of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, on the site of the former wartime RAF station of the same name. Today it is a licensed general aviation field offering flying training, experience flights and charter operations, with two hard runways and an A/G radio service, making it a useful and historically interesting stop for VFR pilots exploring West Wales.
Haverfordwest Airport, historically and still sometimes referred to as Withybush Airport, is a small licensed aerodrome in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It occupies the site of the former RAF Haverfordwest and has served as the county's civil airfield since the 1950s. It is currently operated by Haverfordwest Airport Limited under lease from Pembrokeshire County Council, and hosts flying training, experience flights and charter work through the based operator Fly Wales, as well as occasional Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm helicopter refuelling in support of training exercises at the nearby Pendine and Castlemartin ranges. For a sim pilot, its wartime heritage, general aviation character and scenic Pembrokeshire surroundings make it an engaging destination.
The airfield is situated in Rudbaxton, adjacent to the A40 trunk road, about two nautical miles (3.7 km) north of the town of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It operates without the ability to provide flight plan activation or controlled airspace clearances, so pilots should arrange these elsewhere before arrival.
Haverfordwest has two paired hard runways, both lit. The main runway, 03/21, is 4,247 ft in the 03 direction and 4,138 ft in the 21 direction. The secondary runway, 09/27, is 2,823 ft in the 09 direction and 2,715 ft in the 27 direction. Field elevation is 141 ft.
An air/ground (A/G) radio service is provided on 122.2 MHz. The airfield has an Abbreviated Precision Approach Path Indicator (APAPI) light system on the runway for visual descent guidance on final approach, but there is no ILS. The airport is unable to provide flight plan activation or controlled airspace clearances, so these must be arranged with the appropriate authority beforehand.
Specific published circuit heights and joining instructions are not detailed in the available material, though pilots should note that the airfield operates unlicensed outside CAA-licensed opening hours, which may affect the level of service available. Prior permission is required before flying in.
The airfield sits immediately alongside the A40 trunk road, which runs close to the northern edge of Haverfordwest town, providing a clear linear landmark for pilots approaching from east or west.
The airfield was officially opened in November 1942 as RAF Haverfordwest for No. 17 Group, RAF Coastal Command, becoming fully operational the following year. It originally had three runways: 04/22 at 5,100 feet, 17/35 at 3,780 feet, and 10/28 at 3,600 feet, along with a perimeter track, dispersal hardstandings, two T2 hangars and technical and administration buildings. The first resident unit was No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF, followed in January 1943 by No. 7 (Coastal) OTU, later renamed No. 4 Refresher Flying Unit in May of that year; a General Reconnaissance Aircraft Preparation Pool was also based there. No. 4 RFU disbanded in September 1944, and No. 8 (Coastal) OTU occupied the site from January to June 1945, with Nos. 20 and 21 Air Crew Holding Units the last to leave before the airfield closed in November 1945. In 1949 the ex-RAF airfield was identified as the preferred site for a civil airport in West Wales over rival ex-RAF Templeton, and Pembrokeshire County Council obtained Withybush airfield from the Air Ministry in 1952. Proving flights that year used aircraft including the de Havilland Dragon Rapide, Douglas DC-3, Percival Proctor and de Havilland Dove. Cambrian Airways began a twice-daily scheduled service to Cardiff (ex-RAF Pengam Moors) on 24 May 1952 using a Dragon Rapide, registration G-AJCL, later adding a Swansea stopover; the airline also purchased and relocated one of the site's T2 hangars to Rhoose Airport. This service ended in 1955, and by 1958 runway deterioration led Morton Air Services to choose Brawdy instead of Haverfordwest for a proposed Croydon route. During the 1960s Channel Airways planned a car-ferry air service to Cork, Ireland, adding a concrete vehicle ramp and a converted terminal building, and the council resurfaced a runway, but the airline cancelled the project. Dyfed County Council took over the airport's functions from 1974, refurbishing the wartime control tower into offices and selling off the former engineering section, before Pembrokeshire County Council resumed ownership in 1996. Movements were around 10,000 per year during the 1990s. On 4 April 2025, Pembrokeshire County Council granted a lease to Haverfordwest Airport Limited to manage and operate the airfield.
Haverfordwest Airport holds a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P595), authorising flights for public transport of passengers and flying instruction, and is now managed by Haverfordwest Airport Limited under lease from Pembrokeshire County Council. Fixed-wing light aircraft experience flights, flying lessons and charter operations are conducted by the based operator Fly Wales. The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm also use the airfield for helicopter refuelling during training exercises at the Pendine and Castlemartin ranges. Rescue and Fire Fighting Service is provided at RFS Category 1 using two Isuzu D-Max TACR3 vehicles. Both Jet A-1 and Avgas fuel are available, along with overnight hangarage, and a cafe on site operates seven days a week. The airfield operates unlicensed outside CAA-licensed hours, though it can remain available for landing, take-off and fuel at other times; prior permission is required for visiting aircraft.
