Tresco Heliport is a heliport located on the island of Tresco, in the Isles of Scilly off the southwest coast of England, UK. The heliport was served by a scheduled helicopter service from 1983 to 2012. A new scheduled service will operate from the new Penzance Heliport from 2020. Currently, Tresco Heliport offers a landing site for private and charter helicopters by private arrangement.
History
Tresco Heliport had a CAA Ordinary Licence that allowed flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee. The aerodrome was not licensed for night use. The heliport was owned and operated by Tresco Estates, who lease the island from the Duchy of Cornwall. Tresco Heliport was opened by John King, Baron King of Wartnaby, Chairman of British Airways, on 26 April 1983. Tresco's principal industry is tourism, and the heliport supported this by enabling a scheduled helicopter service to and from the mainland. This scheduled service came to an end in 2012 and visitors to the island now fly or sail to the main island of St Mary's and transfer to Tresco by boat. On summer weekdays the heliport received up to six flights a day from Penzance Heliport on the mainland, with two services a day in winter. Passengers were conveyed from the heliport to their resort or destination on a passenger carryingtrailer drawn by a farm tractor. A footpath from one of the main landing beaches, at Carn Near, to the Abbey Gardens crosses the heliport landing field; it was closed by warning lights and bells a few minutes before a helicopter was due to land at the heliport, and opened again after the helicopter had taken off. The heliport was officially closed on 31 October 2012 and all commercial flights ceased operations. Private and charter helicopter flights to Tresco are still welcomed by the owner, by prior arrangement.
New helicopter service from 2020
In 2016, plans were announced for a new helicopter service between a new Penzance Heliport and the Isles of Scilly. The service will operate into both St Mary's Airport and Tresco Heliport and it is hoped flights will commence in 2020. The service will be operated by Penzance Heliport Ltd and helicopter operator Sloane Helicopters. In 2018, Tresco Estate confirmed that a proposed rival helicopter service from Land's End Airport, operated by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, will not operate into Tresco.
