On 1st July 1933, the Marquis of Londonderry, Secretary of State for Air, officially opened the Airport, which was followed by one of the largest civil air displays seen at the time.
First thought about in the late 1920s, Speke in south Liverpool was chosen for the location of the Airport because of the geography of the site and its good year round weather record – reasons still important at today’s airport.
Almost 100 million passengers have travelled to or from Liverpool Airport since its official opening in 1933 and much has changed over the past 85 years, however, Liverpool continues to play a significant role in the connectivity of the North West and beyond. 
LJLA, which currently handles around five million passengers per annum, is also one of the regions major employers, attracting inward investment and bringing significant tourism benefits, helping to boost the region’s economy.
According to the gateway, it is a "significant driver of prosperity in the region and the North West and North Wales as a whole, bringing an estimated £250 million per annum in GVA and supporting 6,000 jobs across the Liverpool City Region".
LJLA is one of three UK gateways celebrating birthdays this summer – Gatwick turned 60 in June 9 and London Luton is 80 years old on July 16.
