Children’s imaginations take flight for airport’s diamond anniversary
Hyper-supersonic planes that can travel up to 1,500mph, flying cars, hydrogen and solar-powered aircraft, and futuristic airline meals including 3D printed starters and self-pouring wine.
These are just some of the winning ideas from local school children who entered East Midlands Airport’s art competition which posed the question ‘what will flying be like in 60 years’ time?’
Launched as part of the airport’s 60th anniversary celebrations, the competition received more than 100 entries from children as young as five through to students aged 16 from 18 schools in the areas surrounding the airport.
All the entries including the winners and runners-up are to go on display for the first time at a special civic celebration event being held at the airport on Wednesday 2 April – the date in 1965 when it first opened for flights, with some of the winners also set to attend. There are 12 winners in all school years up to key stage 4 from mainstream and Special Educational Needs schools.
Attendees at the event include dignitaries from the city and county councils of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire and Leicester and Leicestershire. It was these councils which in 1963 chose and bought the site for a new airport and provided £1,375,000 for its development.
Over the next six decades it grew from annually carrying 114,888 passengers and 358 tonnes of cargo to 4m passengers and 370,000 tonnes of cargo. In that time there have been many changes including changes in ownership, terminal and runway expansions and a new air traffic control tower, along with many developments in aviation. The next sixty years are set to provide further changes, as the aviation sector seeks ways to decarbonise air travel and global trade grows.
East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: “We felt that a competition asking young people in our neighbouring communities what flying might be like in another 60 years was a good way to get our 60th anniversary celebrations rolling.
“We’re really impressed with the creativity and imagination from the entrants – a lot of their innovation is around sustainable solutions which is one of the big issues we are taking a lead on as an airport group. I’m sure it will be young people like them who will make East Midlands Airport a success for another sixty years.”