Saint Helena Airport is an international airport on Saint Helena, a remote island in the south Atlantic Ocean, in the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha.
The construction of the runway was finished in 2015 and the airport opened in 2016. The inaugural scheduled flight was delayed, but general aviation, charter, and medical evacuation flights were able to serve the airport from May 2016.
The airport began scheduled commercial services on 14 October 2017, when the South African carrier Airlink inaugurated a weekly service from O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, via Walvis Bay Airport, Namibia, using an Embraer E190-100IGW, about one and a half years after the originally expected inauguration date. The service was flown with a smaller-sized aircraft because of wind shear problems affecting the airport.AIRPORT OPENING CEREMONY POSTPONED (St Helena Government 26 April 2016)bbc.com – St Helena airport delay 'to increase cost to UK government' 9 May 2016 Additionally, monthly charter flights operate between Ascension Island and Saint Helena.
History Background Saint Helena is more than from the nearest major landmass. Prior to the opening of the airport, the island was only reachable by sea, making it one of the most remote populated places on earth, measured as travel time from major cities. Sea journeys used to take five days from Cape Town, with departures once every three weeks.
The first consideration of an airport on Saint Helena was made in 1943 by the South African Air Force, which undertook a survey on Prosperous Bay Plain from October 1943 until January 1944. They concluded that, while technically feasible, an airport was not a practical proposition.
It was suggested that an airport would extend the United Kingdom's capabilities to carry out airborne missions in the South Atlantic region, such as maritime patrols in accordance with international fishing agreements (e.g., International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas), counter-piracy missions along important trade routes, and also airlift operations notably into Southern Africa.
According to analysts, the UK government's decision to finally go ahead with the airport, after long delays, seemed to be driven in part by concerns over a continuing tense standoff with Argentina over the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute. The island is about from the Falklands – seven hours and 40 minutes' flight time. But, analysts say that was nevertheless an improvement over the previous state of isolation from the UK for both St Helena and the Falklands.
The following possible benefits were also factors in the decision-making process: Air access would allow Saint Helena to develop its tourism sector. The new wharf in Rupert's Bay could allow regularly passing cruise ships to land passengers on the island and bring tourists if sized appropriately. The lack of a protected landing facility represented a limitation on the development of cruise tourism. In unfavourable sea conditions, landing was hazardous and potential revenue was lost as many cruise ships refused to allow passengers to land in such circumstances. In addition, because there was no protected landing facility, many cruise companies did not incorporate St Helena into their itineraries. The sea is roughest in summer, which marks the peak of the cruise season."Jamestown, St Helena Wharf Improvements, Project EIA: Phase 2, Final Report" by the Government of St Helena, 8 August 2011 Medical evacuations to South Africa for treatment of serious cases of illness would be sped up significantly: it may take up to one month until transport to South Africa by RMS St Helena became available. The availability of heavy construction equipment would facilitate alternative energy projects, such as the construction of larger wind turbines, a tidal power plant or a dam with a hydro-power station in one of St Helena's valleys.St Helena Airport Environmental Statement – Volume 2 by Faber Maunsell AECOM, p. 17-3 Limitations in cargo size of the RMS St Helena and the unavailability of a large crane prohibited construction of larger wind turbines.
In contrast to the projected benefits, there were concerns that the proposed construction on the Prosperous Bay Plain would be detrimental to the local environment. Specifically, Prosperous Bay Plain was one of the few remaining sites on Saint Helena that held significant ecological diversity. According to a 2004 review by Atkins Management Consultants, the survival of numerous endemic species critically depended on the preservation and protection of the location. It was also an important nesting site for the Saint Helena plover, Saint Helena's national bird, which is listed as vulnerable. Although the St. Helena Leisure Corporation was a major force pushing for the airport's construction, its co-founder Sir Nigel Thompson was a former chairman of the environmental charity Campaign to Protect Rural England.Robin Stummer and Daniel Howden: "The Battle for St Helena" . Ezilon Infobase, 20 October 2005. Retrieved 28 August 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
Bidding process After a long period of rumour and consultation, in March 2005 the British government announced plans to construct an airport in Saint Helena, expected to be completed by 2010 and funded by the Department for International Development (DfID).
According to Private Eye magazine, all of the companies tendering for the job of building and running the airport had withdrawn from bidding for the project by late September 2006. The local Access Office explained that it seemed the bidders considered the DfID was unhelpful by not providing the possibility of on-site investigations in order to complete a detailed design before providing a fixed price for the project. According to the DfID's Director for Overseas Territories, his department remained committed to an airport for St Helena."Departure Delayed". Private Eye, No. 1167, 15–28 September 2006.
DfID restarted the procurement process to identify a suitable Design, Build and Operate (DBO) contractor in October 2006. Capability statements were received by DfID in March 2007 and four bidders were pre-approved for the DBO contract and a further three applicants have been pre-approved for the Air Service Provider contract. The applicants for the DBO visited the island for six months from June 2007 before submitting their final proposals, and by January 2008, DfID was down to a shortlist of two bidders.
There were delays by the British government, which went up to Prime Minister Gordon Brown who insisted on personally reviewing the paperwork. An approved bidder, the Italian company Impregilo was appointed in 2008. The project was suspended in November of the same year because of financial pressures brought on by the 2008 financial crisis.Owen Bowcott: " ". The Guardian, 10 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-DEC-10.
The St Helena Leisure Corporation (Shelco) was set up by Arup's Sir Nigel Thompson and Berwin Leighton Paisner's Robert Jones, who planned to construct luxury resorts and a hotel to be run by Oberoi Hotels & Resorts in conjunction with the airport. Though real estate was to be sold before construction had started, the proposal was turned down by the local government and the DfID.David Lawson: "Island in the Sun ". Property Week, 30 September 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
The cost of the airport was reported to be £285.5 million for DfID in April 2016.
Airport design and construction Approximately £202 million was funded for design and construction by South African engineering group Basil Read (Pty) Ltd, which was awarded the contract on 4 November 2011. The UK government also granted additional funds of up to £10 million in shared-risk contingency, and £35.1 million for 10 years of operation by South African airport operator Lanseria Airport. The airport would be the largest single investment ever made on the island.
Design work started immediately after the contract award."Airport News" St Helena Independent, Volume VI, Issue 49, 21 October 2011, p. 2 Following the second visit by a Basil Read team (during December 2011) the project manager settled on the island and the first St Helenian citizen was employed.
Preparation works began in early 2012 in Rupert's Valley on the west coast, which included establishing storage facilities, a temporary fuel farm, and the design and construction of a temporary wharf."Second Basil Read Team Arrives" The St Helena Herald, Volume XI Number 33, 9 December 2011, p.4 A new jetty was built at Rupert's Bay to enable the landing of supplies and construction vehicles.
Logistics of the airport's construction were critical because of the island's isolated location and the lack of construction equipment, which would require everything to be shipped in, resulting in a huge logistics problem."Basil Read's second team Visits and first St Helenian employed", St Helena Herald, Volume XI no. 35, 23 December 2011, p. 5 Due to the limited landing infrastructure, with no breakwater or mooring facilities at the sea front, new harbour facilities capable of handling construction equipment and fuel supplies were constructed at Rupert's Bay."St Helena Access Feasibility Study" St Helena Government, Department for International Development, January 2005, p. 17 Fuel transfers between Rupert's Bay and the aerodrome, connected by a haul road, were assumed to be by road tanker for 20 years, after which a capital allowance was made for enlargement of the bulk fuel storage and the installation of a fuel transfer pipeline.
Basil Read sourced its own ship, a roll-on/roll-off vessel"Basil Read wins R2.7bn contract to build St Helena's first airport " Engineering News, 3 November 2011 called NP Glory 4 flying the Thai flag, which docked for the first time at St Helena on 11 July 2012 and subsequently provided regular supplies to the island, including cargo and personnel for the project.
On 17 July 2012, the St. Helena Government and Basil Read agreed to a change to the runway design, which including widening the embankment over an additional at the southern end, paving an additional of the runway with concrete, providing larger turning circles at the runway ends, and increasing the size of the apron.
In contrast to the 2011 reference design for the airport it would now have a full runway end safety area (RESA) at the southern end of the runway instead of the planned engineered materials arresting system (EMAS). The intention was to add an EMAS designed for Boeing 737-800 later butting onto the southern end of the paved runway to increase the declarable landing distance available (LDA) to , to allow the operation of larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320.
In June 2013, the 100,000th truckload of fill went into Dry Gut, a gorge which had to be raised by almost in order to create an embankment that would finally carry parts of the runway. This was equivalent to nearly 19% of the total of 8 million cubic metres required. Basil Read's calculations showed that a further 430,000 truckloads of material would be needed to complete the fill.
In October 2013 the St Helena government and Basil Read formally agreed to expand the runway shoulders, taxiway and apron to accommodate ICAO Code D aircraft, and to increase the fire fighting capacity (ICAO rescue fire fighting service category 7).
These enhancements make it possible for the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and the Boeing 757 to operate to and from St. Helena, though the runway is unlikely to be long enough to accommodate larger Code D aircraft, such as the Boeing 767. The upgrade was to be funded from cost savings on other parts of the project, particularly by a simplified runway drainage system.
In September 2013, workers employed by Basil Read went on strike in a dispute over working conditions and wages – it was the island's first strike in half a century.