page_title: Teesside International Airport
section_title: Teesside International Airport
hierarchical_section_title: Teesside International Airport / History / Teesside International Airport
caption_attribution_description: English: Vickers Viscount 813 of British Midland Airways operating a UK domestic flight
context_page_description: Teesside International Airport, known previously as Durham Tees Valley Airport, is an international airport located in the Borough of Darlington within County Durham in north-east England. The airport is just east of Darlington town centre and just west of Stockton-on-Tees, and is about 10 mi south-west of Middlesbrough and 24 mi south of Durham. The airport serves the North East, County Durham, and North Yorkshire, and is situated close to the village of Middleton St George.
  Teesside International Airport is one of the United Kingdom's smaller airports, offering links to seven domestic and five European destinations. The airport has a Civil Aviation Authority Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction. Originally a Royal Air Force station, the airfield became Teesside International Airport in the 1960s and was renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport from 2004-2019. The name 'Teesside Airport' is common on local road signs that were either placed before 2004 or on signs with not much space for the previous airport name.
context_section_description: The former RAF Station and airfield was then developed into a civil airport. The first civilian flight from the airport took place in April 1964 with a Mercury Airlines service to Manchester. Princess Margaretha of Sweden opened the international passenger terminal in 1966.
  After flights to Manchester the airport continued to develop a network of both scheduled and inclusive tour charter routes. In November 1969 the first flight to London Heathrow was operated by British Midland—this route continued operating until 28 March 2009.
  In 1974, the shares were divided between the newly formed Cleveland and Durham County Councils.
  1990 saw the one millionth aircraft movement at the airport, in the form of a British Midland service to London Heathrow. In 1996 when Cleveland County Council was abolished, the airport ownership was divided amongst local Borough Councils. Working to a new Business Plan, passenger numbers grew steadily from 1993, up to the sale of the airport in 2002, based upon an expanding holiday charter business.
  In 2002 the airport sought a strategic partner to assist with future development and Peel Airports Ltd was selected as the preferred company, taking a 75% stake in the airport with a commitment to invest £20m over the subsequent five years.
caption: Passengers boarding a British Midland Viscount 813 in 1987
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