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Wikipedia

Saint Helena Airport

January 01, 1970

Saint Helena Airport (IATA: HLE, ICAO: FHSH) 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.

Saint Helena Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerSaint Helena Government
OperatorSt Helena Airport Limited
LocationLongwood, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
OpenedJune 2016; 7 years ago (2016-06)
Elevation AMSL1,017 ft / 310 m
Coordinates15°57′33″S 5°38′45″W / 15.95917°S 5.64583°W / -15.95917; -5.64583
Websitesthelenaairport.com
Map
HLE
Location of St Helena Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
01/19 1,950 6,398 Concrete
Statistics (2018)
Passengers7649 [1]
Sources: AIP St Helena,[2] St Helena Government[3]

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.[4][5]

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,[6][7][8][9][10] about one and a half years after the originally expected inauguration date, and with a smaller-sized aircraft, because of wind shear problems affecting the airport.[11][12][13] Additionally, monthly charter flights operate between Ascension Island and Saint Helena.

History

Background

Saint Helena is more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) 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 St 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, but concluded that, while technically feasible, an airport was not a practical proposition.[14]

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.[citation needed]

According to analysts,[who?] 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 3,812 miles (6,135 km) from the Falklands – seven hours and 40 minutes' flight time. But, analysts say that was nevertheless an improvement over the present state of isolation from the UK for both St Helena and the Falklands.[15]

The following possible benefits were also factors in the decision-making process:

  • Air access would allow St Helena to develop its tourism sector.[citation needed]
  • The new wharf in Rupert's Bay could allow regularly passing cruise ships to land passengers at the island and bring tourists if sized appropriately. The lack of a protected landing facility represents a limitation on the development of cruise tourism. In unfavourable sea conditions, landing is hazardous and potential revenue is lost as many cruise ships refuse to allow passengers to land in such circumstances. In addition, because there is no protected landing facility, many cruise companies do not incorporate St Helena into their itineraries. The sea is roughest in summer which marks the peak of the cruise season.[16]
  • 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 becomes available.[citation needed]
  • 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.[17] Limitations in cargo size of RMS St Helena and the unavailability of a large crane prohibit construction of larger wind turbines.[18]
 
View over Prosperous Bay Plain in the 1980s.

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 preservation and protection of the location. It was also an important[according to whom?] nesting site for the wirebird, Saint Helena's national bird which is listed as vulnerable. Although the St Helena Leisure Corporation (Shelco) 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.[19][20][21]

Bidding process

After a long period of rumour and consultation, in March 2005 the British government announced plans to construct an airport in St 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 by late September 2006 withdrawn from bidding for the project. 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.[22]

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,[14] which went up to Prime Minister Gordon Brown who insisted on personally reviewing the paperwork.[23] An approved bidder was appointed in 2008, the Italian company Impregilo. The project was suspended in November 2008, because of financial pressures brought on by the financial crisis of 2007–2010.

It was reported in The Guardian on 10 December 2008 that UK Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander had announced a "pause in negotiations over the St Helena airport contract",[24] apparently related to the 2008 economic downturn.

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.[19]

The cost of airport was reported to be £285.5 million for DfID in April 2016.[13]

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.[25] 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 in the island.[26]

Design work started immediately after the contract award.[27] 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.[28]

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.[29] A new jetty was built at Rupert's Bay to enable the landing of supplies and construction vehicles.

 
Construction of the airport terminal and air traffic control tower.

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 such as extremely heavy duty equipment and materials to be shipped in, thus resulting in a huge and unique logistics operation.[28] 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.[30] Fuel transfers between Rupert's Bay and the aerodrome, connected by a 14-kilometre (9 mi) 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.[31]

Basil Read sourced its own ship, a roll-on/roll-off vessel[32] called NP Glory 4 flying the Thai flag,[33] 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.[29][34]

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 40 metres (130 ft) at the southern end, paving an additional 100 metres (330 ft) of the runway with concrete, providing larger turning circles at the runway ends, and increasing the size of the apron.[35]

In contrast to the 2011 reference design for the airport it would now have a full 240-metre (790 ft) 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 1,650 metres (5,410 ft),[36] to allow the operation of larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320.[35][37]

In June 2013 the 100,000th truckload of fill went into Dry Gut, a gorge which had to be raised by almost 100 metres (330 ft) 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,[38] and to increase the fire fighting capacity (ICAO rescue fire fighting service category 7).[39] [40] [41]

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.[38] The upgrade was to be funded from cost savings on other parts of the project,[41] particularly by a simplified runway drainage system.[39]

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.[42]

By summer 2015, the Dry Gut fill project was completed and the new runway built.[43] Construction of the airport was completed on schedule.

Airport certification and opening

Avia Solutions Group was appointed to support the St Helena Government (SHG) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) in reaching a contract with an air service provider to provide services to the island.[44]

Calibration flights at the airport began in mid-September 2015. A Beechcraft King Air 200, leased from TAB Charters in South Africa, landed on 15 September 2015 in order to perform tests of the airport navigation systems.[45][46] UK-based Flight Calibration Services undertook the flights and flew from Lanseria International Airport, in Johannesburg, flying via Namibia and Angola. The aircraft was on site for approximately one week to undertake the calibration flights.[47]

Opening was originally scheduled for February 2016 but that was postponed a number of times because of air traffic control related issues.[48] In November 2015, a delay of the opening from February to May 2016 was announced.[48] This was needed "in order to fine tune the operational readiness of the airport".

Due to uncertainties concerning weather conditions and, in particular the amount of turbulence on the approaches from fallwinds resulting from the elevated location and the surrounding bluffs, it was recommended that a charter aircraft should perform approaches to and departures from the intended runway.[49] By April 2016 such flights had taken place, and they were not positive, causing a delay in traffic start.[citation needed]

 
The Boeing 737-800 implementation flight landing at the airport.

The first large (above 100 seats) passenger jet landed on 18 April 2016, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Comair. It was an implementation flight to test the route, ground operations and handling, ahead of commencement of scheduled services.[50] The landing was not straightforward, with the aircraft only successfully landing on its third approach (the first approach was a planned Go-around, because of the lack of experience with this airport).[51] On 26 April 2016, a further delay to the opening, without a specified end date, was announced by the St. Helena Government because of concerns regarding wind shear, after the problematic landing by the Comair 737-800 intended for regular flights.[12] However southbound landings (runway 20) have wind shear problems.[52] There is a need to define measurement methods for the wind shear in order to understand when landing can be done, and when to cancel flights. The late postponement caused extra cost, for example contracted employees and contracted airlines that cannot operate, hotels that were built, and also the need to extend the use of the RMS St Helena, which originally was due to be retired after the airport opened.[53][54][55]

Following an inspection in April 2016, on 10 May, UK-based Air Safety Support International (ASSI), a subsidiary company of the Civil Aviation Authority responsible for aviation safety in Overseas Territories, issued an Aerodrome Certificate to St Helena Airport. This safety certificate indicated that airport infrastructure, aviation security measures and air traffic control service complied with international aviation safety and security standards.[56] ASSI did not allow the airport to go into commercial operation, however, due to concerns over operational readiness of monitoring and clearing issues that include wind shear and turbulence.[57]

The airport opened in June 2016, but restrictions for large aircraft remained due to dangerous wind shear. The airport's advocates hope that it will bring growth to the island's economy through tourism, leading to financial self-sustainability and an end to UK budgetary aid.[26]

A new safety certificate was delivered on 26 October 2016 by Air Safety Support International.[58] After the bankruptcy of the company Basil Read which built and operated the airport, the Saint Helena government owned company took over the operations, for which it got a new safety certificate on 5 October 2018.[59]

Early air traffic history

Since the airport opened, through to early April 2017, 32 private aircraft have landed at the airport. These flights were mostly for either business passengers or medical evacuation purposes. The aircraft involved were smaller and lighter than the Boeing 737 and usually landed in the opposite direction on the runway from that taken by the 737-800 implementation flight in the southbound direction. The opposite, northbound, direction has an approach which is generally less turbulent but can only be used by lighter aircraft.[60]

The first helicopter to use the airport was an AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 of 201 Flight 825 Naval Air Squadron attached to the Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster on 14 October 2015.[61][62][63]

An important reason to build the airport was availability for medical emergency evacuation. On 3 June 2016 the first ambulance flight took place, for a baby and his mother.[64]

There are no aircraft dedicated to calibration flights, but occasionally such flights have taken place. On Friday 21 October 2016, an Avro RJ100 jet airliner sponsored by Atlantic Star Airlines landed on St Helena Airport, with 13 non-commercial passengers on board, as part of a delivery to Chile. Both pilots were from the Faroe Islands and had experience from there with landing in windy conditions.[65] An Embraer ERJ-190-100 operated by Embraer Aviation flew from Brazil and made a number of landings and starts on St Helena on 30 November and 1 December 2016.[66][67]

On 18 December 2016 a Royal Air Force C-130J Hercules landed at St Helena, the first fixed-wing military aircraft to land on the island.[68] A South African Air Force C-130 visited the airport twice in July 2017.[69]

Establishing commercial air service

 
Saint Helena Airport viewed from the Millennium Forest

Prior to the opening of the airport, it was decided that St Helena would have an open skies policy; this allows any airline operator who meets all the required standards to fly in and out of St Helena.[70] Projections for commercial flight costs were also drawn up and the St Helena Government expected that a return economy flight from St Helena to South Africa would cost around £600. Assuming that an off-peak economy seat from South Africa to the UK would be available for approximately £700, return tickets for flights via South Africa to the UK would take the total price to around £1,300.[71]

Due to the runway length and the distance to South Africa (3,700 km (2,299 mi) to Johannesburg), a Boeing 737-700 flying to Johannesburg serving St Helena would not be able to use its full seat and cargo capacity. Only flights to and from Namibian and Angolan destinations would allow using a Boeing 737-700 near its full load capacity. This was under the condition that both directions of the runway were available so tailwind landings could be avoided. The other planned destination, London, requires a fuel stop in Gambia, at almost the same distance as Johannesburg. However, if Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island was open for commercial non-military flights, it could be listed as an alternative aerodrome; as it is only 1,300 km (808 mi) from St Helena this would mean that the load capacity of an inbound Boeing 737-700 could be increased as smaller fuel reserves would be required, since the alternative aerodrome could be used in case of problems at St. Helena.[citation needed]

It was thought that reductions in ticket prices might be achieved by using spare payload capacity on flights to and from St Helena to carry air freight (e.g., agricultural products, coffee, fish).[72] At 70% passenger load factor a B737-800 operating, on an average day, into St Helena would have a spare payload capacity of some 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb). The extra income possible per in-bound flight from cargo could be as high as the income equivalent of 19 passengers, giving an effective load factor of 88% and could reduce ticket prices.[73]

On 16 March 2015 it was announced that SHG and DFID had appointed Comair Limited as the preferred bidder for the provision of air services to St Helena.[74] Comair was proposing a weekly flight between Johannesburg Airport and St Helena using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which has a flight time from Johannesburg to St Helena of about four and a half hours. Reaction to the Comair announcement on St Helena was largely negative,[75] with stories of luggage loss and crime in Johannesburg, and the fact that many of St Helena's residents have personal links with Cape Town.[76]

On 9 October 2015, Governor Mark Capes indicated that once a month there would be a flight from St Helena to Ascension Island provided by Comair.[77] The Ascension Island Government also announced a connection between the two islands. The connection was to be flown by Comair using a Boeing 737-800. The flight would have taken about two hours to Wideawake Airfield. Comair's air services between St Helena Airport and O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg were scheduled to commence in late May 2016, to coincide with the official opening of the airport on 21 May 2016. These dates were postponed because of the problems with wind shear; however, Comair did operate a few test flights which concluded in the windshear risk, mainly for aircraft of that size and larger.[78]

Atlantic Star Airlines (operated by TUI Airlines Netherlands) had announced an intention to operate charter flights from London-Gatwick via Gambia (possibly starting May 2016)[79] using a Boeing 737-800, an aircraft requiring a fairly long runway. This leaves Lubango Airport in Angola, at a distance of 1,300 miles (2,100 km) as the next best diversion option for which every inbound aircraft must carry enough fuel reserve, limiting its load capacity.

In response to the wind shear problems, in June 2016 the Governor, Lisa Phillips, noted that restricting flight operations to runway 02, that is northbound landings and southbound starts on St Helena's single operating surface, might be a suitable interim solution. While runway 02 does not suffer from a significant wind shear problem, restricting landings to one direction would prevent large aircraft from calling at St Helena. Only permitting landings in one direction would mean that aircraft must to be able to land in tailwind. Consequently, large aircraft, like the 737-800, could not be used because, in a tailwind, they would need a longer runway than St Helena provides.[80] If runway 20 is used, it will have severe wind restrictions.

A debate about the project was held by the House of Lords in London on 17 October 2016. When asked by Lord Foulkes when the government expected commercial flights would start at the airport, the Minister of State, Department for International Development Lord Bates said, "scheduled commercial flights will begin when the conditions are considered safe to do so and the St Helena Government are able to contract an airline with the right aircraft and regulatory approval".[81]

In December 2016, the Saint Helena government issued a tender for an airline to establish a scheduled commercial service, using the less turbulent northbound landing direction only. Atlantic Star Airlines has entered a bid on a proposed plan to base two aircraft at Saint Helena. They would carry up to 60 passengers on round-trip flights from Saint Helena to the international airport in Accra, the capital of Ghana.[60] On 5 February 2017 there was a deadline for airlines to submit application bids for the provision of air services to St Helena under the new requirements, and there were a number of bids.[82]

 
An Airlink Avro RJ85 flew the first charter passengers to and from St. Helena on 3 May 2017

On 3 May 2017, the first commercial charter flight with paying passengers took place. SA Airlink operated the flight from Cape Town, using an Avro RJ85 aircraft with 60 passengers on board. It refueled in Moçâmedes (Angola) when going to St Helena and in Windhoek when going to Cape Town.[83][84] Technical problems with RMS St Helena meant that the island was isolated for at least two months, so the flight was needed.[85]

On 9 June 2017 Airlink won the bid to operate scheduled flights to St Helena Airport.[86] On 22 July 2017 it was announced the airline would operate weekly flights to Johannesburg via Windhoek in Namibia, with a monthly link to Ascension Island. The flights will be on Embraer E190 aircraft filling a maximum of only 76 of the 99 seats due to runway limitations related to the wind shear issues.[87][88] Airlink conducted a successful proving flight on 23 August 2017[89] and commenced passenger flights on 14 October 2017.[6] The first scheduled flight landed on 14 October 2017 around 14:00 UTC without any problems, although it was slightly delayed. The flight used the southbound direction, the one with wind shear problems, but the wind was fairly calm.[90] Airlink was after some time denied letting passengers embark and disembark in Windhoek, because Airlink was not given right to carry passengers between Namibia and foreign countries. From April 2019 Airlink refuels in Walvis Bay instead, giving right to have 98 passengers because of shorter distance, having in mind that no connections are allowed in Namibia anyway.[91] The flights still (2019) stop in Windhoek or Walvis Bay for refuel westbound, but fly nonstop to Johannesburg if there is not too much upwind.[92]

On Saturday 18 November 2017 Airlink started a monthly charter operation to Ascension Island.[93]

After half a year of operation it was found that the regularity was better than expected with only one day of flights delayed until another day, and that ticket demand was higher than expected.[94] The government announced in May 2018 that a second weekly flight will be performed during the southern summer season of December 2018 to April 2019, as well as two more flights to Ascension during the Christmas/New year period.[95] During December 2019 to February 2020 flights went to and from Cape Town, the traditional link to Saint Helena during the boat era.[96]

 
An Airlink E190 about to refuel in 2020

The southern autumn and winter means higher challenges with low clouds and stormy weather. The flights planned for 14 July 2018 were delayed a full week because of weather,[97] and the schedule of August 2018 was also heavily disrupted.

Beginning March 2020, only residents, citizens or other permitted people were allowed to enter the island, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and all arriving had to stay isolated for two weeks.[98] This and restrictions in South Africa caused the cancellation of all flights to Saint Helena and Ascension from 25 March for a long period.[99] The M/V Helena freight ship still visits the island and medical air evacuation is also possible.[100] A few charter flights were still performed in order to bring in essential medical staff and supplies, people needing to get home etc. On 20 April 2020, an Airbus A318 chartered from Titan Airways flew from London and also conducted six landings to fulfil crew training requirements in anticipation of future flights to the island (because landing with passengers requires a pilot with previous experience with the airport).[101] On 19 May 2020, Airlink performed such a flight from Johannesburg.[102] On 19 July 2020, the first non-stop return flights from Europe took place when a Bombardier Global 6000 flew from Switzerland to Saint Helena and back to France to evacuate workers for a port construction project.[103][user-generated source] On 30 July 2020, a further charter flight from London was performed, this time with a Boeing 757-200 from Titan Airways, the largest aircraft to have been on St Helena Airport.[104][105] These 757 flights were performed around once per month the rest of 2020, refuelling in Accra, Ghana.[106] In February 2022, the runway designations changed from 02 and 20 to 01 and 19 respectively. This change was due to a slight shift in the Earth's magnetic field.[107]

The airport was officially opened by Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh on 26 January 2024.[108]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Airlink Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo[109]
Seasonal: Cape Town (temporarily suspended)[110]
Charter: Ascension Island[111][112]

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at HLE airport. See Wikidata query.

Aerodrome characteristics, equipment and facilities

 
 
Location of the airport on St Helena, on the east side of the island

The airport was built on Prosperous Bay Plain, on the east side of Saint Helena, entailing a concrete runway length of 1,950 metres (6,398 ft)[113] with taxiway and apron, an approximately 8-million-cubic-metre (280-million-cubic-foot) rockfill embankment through which a 750-metre (2,460 ft) long reinforced concrete culvert was proposed but contractor Basil Read got approval to use an open channel instead. This was approved by the St Helena Government, together with an airport terminal building of 3,500 square metres (38,000 sq ft) and support infrastructure, air traffic control and safety, bulk fuel installation for six million litres (1.3 million imperial gallons; 1.6 million US gallons) of diesel and aviation fuel, a 14-kilometre (9 mi) airport access road from Rupert's Bay to the airport, and all related logistics.[25] The airport has a LDA (landing distance available) of 1,535 metres (5,036 ft) for the northbound runway direction (01) and 1,550 metres (5,085 ft) for the wind shear-affected southbound runway direction (19).[113]

Aircraft compatibility

Aircraft must be able to take off and land on the fairly short runway, and also have enough range to go from another airport and back to the mainland if it can't land if the airport gets closed, for example due to weather. The distance from nearest African mainland airport is almost 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi), and both ways almost 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi).

The airport by design can accommodate up to two[114] twin-engined passenger aircraft up to the size of the Airbus A319, Boeing 737, and the Boeing 757-200. The airport has also been visited by a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, and a Boeing C-17 (the largest of the listed aircraft).[115]

Airlink's scheduled service uses the Embraer ERJ-190.

Facilities

 
Inside the passenger terminal

There are two main buildings,[116] the terminal building, and the combined building for airport operations, e.g. air traffic control, rescue services, etc. In addition there are some smaller buildings. The terminal building has a café, a gift shop, a duty-free shop and a restaurant.[117]

Navigation aids

 
Doppler VHF omnidirectional range (DVOR) system at St Helena Airport.

The distance from key destinations, the length of runway available, and the type of aircraft available in the region dictate that air services to St Helena must operate to the requirements of extended twin engine operations (ETOPS) which implies the provision of an instrument approach system based on an off-set instrument landing system localiser (ILS LLZ).[118][31]

Such is also required by the terrain of the airport which, in commercial passenger air transport terms, is safety-critical due to its steep approaches, high elevation (1,000 ft or 300 m above sea level)[119] and rocky outcrops. Without an instrument approach the provision of a viable air service would be considered impossible.[120]

Because of the above, St Helena Airport was equipped with an instrument landing system (ILS) and a Doppler VHF omnidirectional range system (DVOR) supplied by Thales Group.[121] Further to that Honeywell Aerospace supplied a SmartPath ground-based augmentation system (GBAS), a technology that augments global positioning system (GPS) signals to make them suitable for precision approach and landing. It overcomes many of the limitations of instrument landing systems (ILS) traditionally used by airports to guide aircraft as they approach the runway.[122]

Capacity

Because of the single runway and the long distance to alternate airports, it has been decided that when an approaching aircraft is nearer than halfway (around 1½ hours) from Africa to Saint Helena, no other aircraft must go towards the airport. This includes aircraft departing from Saint Helena, as they would likely head back in the case of an unforeseen problem or emergency. As a result, there can only be two landings and two departures per day (although there are in reality rarely more than a few per week)[123]

See also

References

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External links

  Media related to Saint Helena Airport at Wikimedia Commons

  • Saint Helena Access official website

January 01, 1970
saint, helena, airport, iata, icao, fhsh, international, airport, saint, helena, remote, island, south, atlantic, ocean, british, overseas, territory, saint, helena, ascension, tristan, cunha, iata, hleicao, fhshwmo, 61901summaryairport, typepublicownersaint, . Saint Helena Airport IATA HLE ICAO FHSH 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 Saint Helena AirportIATA HLEICAO FHSHWMO 61901SummaryAirport typePublicOwnerSaint Helena GovernmentOperatorSt Helena Airport LimitedLocationLongwood Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da CunhaOpenedJune 2016 7 years ago 2016 06 Elevation AMSL1 017 ft 310 mCoordinates15 57 33 S 5 38 45 W 15 95917 S 5 64583 W 15 95917 5 64583Websitesthelenaairport comMapHLELocation of St Helena AirportRunwaysDirection Length Surface m ft 01 19 1 950 6 398 ConcreteStatistics 2018 Passengers7649 1 Sources AIP St Helena 2 St Helena Government 3 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 4 5 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 6 7 8 9 10 about one and a half years after the originally expected inauguration date and with a smaller sized aircraft because of wind shear problems affecting the airport 11 12 13 Additionally monthly charter flights operate between Ascension Island and Saint Helena Contents 1 History 1 1 Background 1 2 Bidding process 1 3 Airport design and construction 1 4 Airport certification and opening 1 5 Early air traffic history 1 6 Establishing commercial air service 2 Airlines and destinations 3 Statistics 4 Aerodrome characteristics equipment and facilities 4 1 Aircraft compatibility 4 2 Facilities 4 3 Navigation aids 4 4 Capacity 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistoryBackground Saint Helena is more than 2 000 kilometres 1 200 mi 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 St 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 but concluded that while technically feasible an airport was not a practical proposition 14 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 citation needed According to analysts who 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 3 812 miles 6 135 km from the Falklands seven hours and 40 minutes flight time But analysts say that was nevertheless an improvement over the present state of isolation from the UK for both St Helena and the Falklands 15 The following possible benefits were also factors in the decision making process Air access would allow St Helena to develop its tourism sector citation needed The new wharf in Rupert s Bay could allow regularly passing cruise ships to land passengers at the island and bring tourists if sized appropriately The lack of a protected landing facility represents a limitation on the development of cruise tourism In unfavourable sea conditions landing is hazardous and potential revenue is lost as many cruise ships refuse to allow passengers to land in such circumstances In addition because there is no protected landing facility many cruise companies do not incorporate St Helena into their itineraries The sea is roughest in summer which marks the peak of the cruise season 16 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 becomes available citation needed 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 17 Limitations in cargo size of RMS St Helena and the unavailability of a large crane prohibit construction of larger wind turbines 18 nbsp View over Prosperous Bay Plain in the 1980s 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 preservation and protection of the location It was also an important according to whom nesting site for the wirebird Saint Helena s national bird which is listed as vulnerable Although the St Helena Leisure Corporation Shelco 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 19 20 21 Bidding process After a long period of rumour and consultation in March 2005 the British government announced plans to construct an airport in St 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 by late September 2006 withdrawn from bidding for the project 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 22 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 14 which went up to Prime Minister Gordon Brown who insisted on personally reviewing the paperwork 23 An approved bidder was appointed in 2008 the Italian company Impregilo The project was suspended in November 2008 because of financial pressures brought on by the financial crisis of 2007 2010 It was reported in The Guardian on 10 December 2008 that UK Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander had announced a pause in negotiations over the St Helena airport contract 24 apparently related to the 2008 economic downturn 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 amp 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 19 The cost of airport was reported to be 285 5 million for DfID in April 2016 13 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 25 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 in the island 26 Design work started immediately after the contract award 27 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 28 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 29 A new jetty was built at Rupert s Bay to enable the landing of supplies and construction vehicles nbsp Construction of the airport terminal and air traffic control tower 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 such as extremely heavy duty equipment and materials to be shipped in thus resulting in a huge and unique logistics operation 28 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 30 Fuel transfers between Rupert s Bay and the aerodrome connected by a 14 kilometre 9 mi 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 31 Basil Read sourced its own ship a roll on roll off vessel 32 called NP Glory 4 flying the Thai flag 33 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 29 34 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 40 metres 130 ft at the southern end paving an additional 100 metres 330 ft of the runway with concrete providing larger turning circles at the runway ends and increasing the size of the apron 35 In contrast to the 2011 reference design for the airport it would now have a full 240 metre 790 ft 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 1 650 metres 5 410 ft 36 to allow the operation of larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737 800 and Airbus A320 35 37 In June 2013 the 100 000th truckload of fill went into Dry Gut a gorge which had to be raised by almost 100 metres 330 ft 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 38 and to increase the fire fighting capacity ICAO rescue fire fighting service category 7 39 40 41 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 38 The upgrade was to be funded from cost savings on other parts of the project 41 particularly by a simplified runway drainage system 39 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 42 By summer 2015 the Dry Gut fill project was completed and the new runway built 43 Construction of the airport was completed on schedule Airport certification and opening Avia Solutions Group was appointed to support the St Helena Government SHG and the UK Department for International Development DFID in reaching a contract with an air service provider to provide services to the island 44 Calibration flights at the airport began in mid September 2015 A Beechcraft King Air 200 leased from TAB Charters in South Africa landed on 15 September 2015 in order to perform tests of the airport navigation systems 45 46 UK based Flight Calibration Services undertook the flights and flew from Lanseria International Airport in Johannesburg flying via Namibia and Angola The aircraft was on site for approximately one week to undertake the calibration flights 47 Opening was originally scheduled for February 2016 but that was postponed a number of times because of air traffic control related issues 48 In November 2015 a delay of the opening from February to May 2016 was announced 48 This was needed in order to fine tune the operational readiness of the airport Due to uncertainties concerning weather conditions and in particular the amount of turbulence on the approaches from fallwinds resulting from the elevated location and the surrounding bluffs it was recommended that a charter aircraft should perform approaches to and departures from the intended runway 49 By April 2016 such flights had taken place and they were not positive causing a delay in traffic start citation needed nbsp The Boeing 737 800 implementation flight landing at the airport The first large above 100 seats passenger jet landed on 18 April 2016 a Boeing 737 800 operated by Comair It was an implementation flight to test the route ground operations and handling ahead of commencement of scheduled services 50 The landing was not straightforward with the aircraft only successfully landing on its third approach the first approach was a planned Go around because of the lack of experience with this airport 51 On 26 April 2016 a further delay to the opening without a specified end date was announced by the St Helena Government because of concerns regarding wind shear after the problematic landing by the Comair 737 800 intended for regular flights 12 However southbound landings runway 20 have wind shear problems 52 There is a need to define measurement methods for the wind shear in order to understand when landing can be done and when to cancel flights The late postponement caused extra cost for example contracted employees and contracted airlines that cannot operate hotels that were built and also the need to extend the use of the RMS St Helena which originally was due to be retired after the airport opened 53 54 55 Following an inspection in April 2016 on 10 May UK based Air Safety Support International ASSI a subsidiary company of the Civil Aviation Authority responsible for aviation safety in Overseas Territories issued an Aerodrome Certificate to St Helena Airport This safety certificate indicated that airport infrastructure aviation security measures and air traffic control service complied with international aviation safety and security standards 56 ASSI did not allow the airport to go into commercial operation however due to concerns over operational readiness of monitoring and clearing issues that include wind shear and turbulence 57 The airport opened in June 2016 but restrictions for large aircraft remained due to dangerous wind shear The airport s advocates hope that it will bring growth to the island s economy through tourism leading to financial self sustainability and an end to UK budgetary aid 26 A new safety certificate was delivered on 26 October 2016 by Air Safety Support International 58 After the bankruptcy of the company Basil Read which built and operated the airport the Saint Helena government owned company took over the operations for which it got a new safety certificate on 5 October 2018 59 Early air traffic history Since the airport opened through to early April 2017 update 32 private aircraft have landed at the airport These flights were mostly for either business passengers or medical evacuation purposes The aircraft involved were smaller and lighter than the Boeing 737 and usually landed in the opposite direction on the runway from that taken by the 737 800 implementation flight in the southbound direction The opposite northbound direction has an approach which is generally less turbulent but can only be used by lighter aircraft 60 The first helicopter to use the airport was an AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA 2 of 201 Flight 825 Naval Air Squadron attached to the Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster on 14 October 2015 61 62 63 An important reason to build the airport was availability for medical emergency evacuation On 3 June 2016 the first ambulance flight took place for a baby and his mother 64 There are no aircraft dedicated to calibration flights but occasionally such flights have taken place On Friday 21 October 2016 an Avro RJ100 jet airliner sponsored by Atlantic Star Airlines landed on St Helena Airport with 13 non commercial passengers on board as part of a delivery to Chile Both pilots were from the Faroe Islands and had experience from there with landing in windy conditions 65 An Embraer ERJ 190 100 operated by Embraer Aviation flew from Brazil and made a number of landings and starts on St Helena on 30 November and 1 December 2016 66 67 On 18 December 2016 a Royal Air Force C 130J Hercules landed at St Helena the first fixed wing military aircraft to land on the island 68 A South African Air Force C 130 visited the airport twice in July 2017 69 Establishing commercial air service nbsp Saint Helena Airport viewed from the Millennium ForestPrior to the opening of the airport it was decided that St Helena would have an open skies policy this allows any airline operator who meets all the required standards to fly in and out of St Helena 70 Projections for commercial flight costs were also drawn up and the St Helena Government expected that a return economy flight from St Helena to South Africa would cost around 600 Assuming that an off peak economy seat from South Africa to the UK would be available for approximately 700 return tickets for flights via South Africa to the UK would take the total price to around 1 300 71 Due to the runway length and the distance to South Africa 3 700 km 2 299 mi to Johannesburg a Boeing 737 700 flying to Johannesburg serving St Helena would not be able to use its full seat and cargo capacity Only flights to and from Namibian and Angolan destinations would allow using a Boeing 737 700 near its full load capacity This was under the condition that both directions of the runway were available so tailwind landings could be avoided The other planned destination London requires a fuel stop in Gambia at almost the same distance as Johannesburg However if Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island was open for commercial non military flights it could be listed as an alternative aerodrome as it is only 1 300 km 808 mi from St Helena this would mean that the load capacity of an inbound Boeing 737 700 could be increased as smaller fuel reserves would be required since the alternative aerodrome could be used in case of problems at St Helena citation needed It was thought that reductions in ticket prices might be achieved by using spare payload capacity on flights to and from St Helena to carry air freight e g agricultural products coffee fish 72 At 70 passenger load factor a B737 800 operating on an average day into St Helena would have a spare payload capacity of some 4 000 kilograms 8 800 lb The extra income possible per in bound flight from cargo could be as high as the income equivalent of 19 passengers giving an effective load factor of 88 and could reduce ticket prices 73 On 16 March 2015 it was announced that SHG and DFID had appointed Comair Limited as the preferred bidder for the provision of air services to St Helena 74 Comair was proposing a weekly flight between Johannesburg Airport and St Helena using a Boeing 737 800 aircraft which has a flight time from Johannesburg to St Helena of about four and a half hours Reaction to the Comair announcement on St Helena was largely negative 75 with stories of luggage loss and crime in Johannesburg and the fact that many of St Helena s residents have personal links with Cape Town 76 On 9 October 2015 Governor Mark Capes indicated that once a month there would be a flight from St Helena to Ascension Island provided by Comair 77 The Ascension Island Government also announced a connection between the two islands The connection was to be flown by Comair using a Boeing 737 800 The flight would have taken about two hours to Wideawake Airfield Comair s air services between St Helena Airport and O R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg were scheduled to commence in late May 2016 to coincide with the official opening of the airport on 21 May 2016 These dates were postponed because of the problems with wind shear however Comair did operate a few test flights which concluded in the windshear risk mainly for aircraft of that size and larger 78 Atlantic Star Airlines operated by TUI Airlines Netherlands had announced an intention to operate charter flights from London Gatwick via Gambia possibly starting May 2016 79 using a Boeing 737 800 an aircraft requiring a fairly long runway This leaves Lubango Airport in Angola at a distance of 1 300 miles 2 100 km as the next best diversion option for which every inbound aircraft must carry enough fuel reserve limiting its load capacity In response to the wind shear problems in June 2016 the Governor Lisa Phillips noted that restricting flight operations to runway 02 that is northbound landings and southbound starts on St Helena s single operating surface might be a suitable interim solution While runway 02 does not suffer from a significant wind shear problem restricting landings to one direction would prevent large aircraft from calling at St Helena Only permitting landings in one direction would mean that aircraft must to be able to land in tailwind Consequently large aircraft like the 737 800 could not be used because in a tailwind they would need a longer runway than St Helena provides 80 If runway 20 is used it will have severe wind restrictions A debate about the project was held by the House of Lords in London on 17 October 2016 When asked by Lord Foulkes when the government expected commercial flights would start at the airport the Minister of State Department for International Development Lord Bates said scheduled commercial flights will begin when the conditions are considered safe to do so and the St Helena Government are able to contract an airline with the right aircraft and regulatory approval 81 In December 2016 the Saint Helena government issued a tender for an airline to establish a scheduled commercial service using the less turbulent northbound landing direction only Atlantic Star Airlines has entered a bid on a proposed plan to base two aircraft at Saint Helena They would carry up to 60 passengers on round trip flights from Saint Helena to the international airport in Accra the capital of Ghana 60 On 5 February 2017 there was a deadline for airlines to submit application bids for the provision of air services to St Helena under the new requirements and there were a number of bids 82 nbsp An Airlink Avro RJ85 flew the first charter passengers to and from St Helena on 3 May 2017 On 3 May 2017 the first commercial charter flight with paying passengers took place SA Airlink operated the flight from Cape Town using an Avro RJ85 aircraft with 60 passengers on board It refueled in Mocamedes Angola when going to St Helena and in Windhoek when going to Cape Town 83 84 Technical problems with RMS St Helena meant that the island was isolated for at least two months so the flight was needed 85 On 9 June 2017 Airlink won the bid to operate scheduled flights to St Helena Airport 86 On 22 July 2017 it was announced the airline would operate weekly flights to Johannesburg via Windhoek in Namibia with a monthly link to Ascension Island The flights will be on Embraer E190 aircraft filling a maximum of only 76 of the 99 seats due to runway limitations related to the wind shear issues 87 88 Airlink conducted a successful proving flight on 23 August 2017 89 and commenced passenger flights on 14 October 2017 6 The first scheduled flight landed on 14 October 2017 around 14 00 UTC without any problems although it was slightly delayed The flight used the southbound direction the one with wind shear problems but the wind was fairly calm 90 Airlink was after some time denied letting passengers embark and disembark in Windhoek because Airlink was not given right to carry passengers between Namibia and foreign countries From April 2019 Airlink refuels in Walvis Bay instead giving right to have 98 passengers because of shorter distance having in mind that no connections are allowed in Namibia anyway 91 The flights still 2019 stop in Windhoek or Walvis Bay for refuel westbound but fly nonstop to Johannesburg if there is not too much upwind 92 On Saturday 18 November 2017 Airlink started a monthly charter operation to Ascension Island 93 After half a year of operation it was found that the regularity was better than expected with only one day of flights delayed until another day and that ticket demand was higher than expected 94 The government announced in May 2018 that a second weekly flight will be performed during the southern summer season of December 2018 to April 2019 as well as two more flights to Ascension during the Christmas New year period 95 During December 2019 to February 2020 flights went to and from Cape Town the traditional link to Saint Helena during the boat era 96 nbsp An Airlink E190 about to refuel in 2020The southern autumn and winter means higher challenges with low clouds and stormy weather The flights planned for 14 July 2018 were delayed a full week because of weather 97 and the schedule of August 2018 was also heavily disrupted Beginning March 2020 only residents citizens or other permitted people were allowed to enter the island due to the COVID 19 pandemic and all arriving had to stay isolated for two weeks 98 This and restrictions in South Africa caused the cancellation of all flights to Saint Helena and Ascension from 25 March for a long period 99 The M V Helena freight ship still visits the island and medical air evacuation is also possible 100 A few charter flights were still performed in order to bring in essential medical staff and supplies people needing to get home etc On 20 April 2020 an Airbus A318 chartered from Titan Airways flew from London and also conducted six landings to fulfil crew training requirements in anticipation of future flights to the island because landing with passengers requires a pilot with previous experience with the airport 101 On 19 May 2020 Airlink performed such a flight from Johannesburg 102 On 19 July 2020 the first non stop return flights from Europe took place when a Bombardier Global 6000 flew from Switzerland to Saint Helena and back to France to evacuate workers for a port construction project 103 user generated source On 30 July 2020 a further charter flight from London was performed this time with a Boeing 757 200 from Titan Airways the largest aircraft to have been on St Helena Airport 104 105 These 757 flights were performed around once per month the rest of 2020 refuelling in Accra Ghana 106 In February 2022 the runway designations changed from 02 and 20 to 01 and 19 respectively This change was due to a slight shift in the Earth s magnetic field 107 The airport was officially opened by Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh on 26 January 2024 108 Airlines and destinationsAirlinesDestinationsAirlinkJohannesburg O R Tambo 109 Seasonal Cape Town temporarily suspended 110 Charter Ascension Island 111 112 StatisticsGraphs are unavailable due to technical issues There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki org Annual passenger traffic at HLE airport See Wikidata query Aerodrome characteristics equipment and facilities nbsp nbsp Location of the airport on St Helena on the east side of the island The airport was built on Prosperous Bay Plain on the east side of Saint Helena entailing a concrete runway length of 1 950 metres 6 398 ft 113 with taxiway and apron an approximately 8 million cubic metre 280 million cubic foot rockfill embankment through which a 750 metre 2 460 ft long reinforced concrete culvert was proposed but contractor Basil Read got approval to use an open channel instead This was approved by the St Helena Government together with an airport terminal building of 3 500 square metres 38 000 sq ft and support infrastructure air traffic control and safety bulk fuel installation for six million litres 1 3 million imperial gallons 1 6 million US gallons of diesel and aviation fuel a 14 kilometre 9 mi airport access road from Rupert s Bay to the airport and all related logistics 25 The airport has a LDA landing distance available of 1 535 metres 5 036 ft for the northbound runway direction 01 and 1 550 metres 5 085 ft for the wind shear affected southbound runway direction 19 113 Aircraft compatibility Aircraft must be able to take off and land on the fairly short runway and also have enough range to go from another airport and back to the mainland if it can t land if the airport gets closed for example due to weather The distance from nearest African mainland airport is almost 2 500 kilometres 1 600 mi and both ways almost 5 000 kilometres 3 100 mi The airport by design can accommodate up to two 114 twin engined passenger aircraft up to the size of the Airbus A319 Boeing 737 and the Boeing 757 200 The airport has also been visited by a Lockheed C 130 Hercules and a Boeing C 17 the largest of the listed aircraft 115 Airlink s scheduled service uses the Embraer ERJ 190 Facilities nbsp Inside the passenger terminal There are two main buildings 116 the terminal building and the combined building for airport operations e g air traffic control rescue services etc In addition there are some smaller buildings The terminal building has a cafe a gift shop a duty free shop and a restaurant 117 Navigation aids nbsp Doppler VHF omnidirectional range DVOR system at St Helena Airport The distance from key destinations the length of runway available and the type of aircraft available in the region dictate that air services to St Helena must operate to the requirements of extended twin engine operations ETOPS which implies the provision of an instrument approach system based on an off set instrument landing system localiser ILS LLZ 118 31 Such is also required by the terrain of the airport which in commercial passenger air transport terms is safety critical due to its steep approaches high elevation 1 000 ft or 300 m above sea level 119 and rocky outcrops Without an instrument approach the provision of a viable air service would be considered impossible 120 Because of the above St Helena Airport was equipped with an instrument landing system ILS and a Doppler VHF omnidirectional range system DVOR supplied by Thales Group 121 Further to that Honeywell Aerospace supplied a SmartPath ground based augmentation system GBAS a technology that augments global positioning system GPS signals to make them suitable for precision approach and landing It overcomes many of the limitations of instrument landing systems ILS traditionally used by airports to guide aircraft as they approach the runway 122 Capacity Because of the single runway and the long distance to alternate airports it has been decided that when an approaching aircraft is nearer than halfway around 1 hours from Africa to Saint Helena no other aircraft must go towards the airport This includes aircraft departing from Saint Helena as they would likely head back in the case of an unforeseen problem or emergency As a result there can only be two landings and two departures per day although there are in reality rarely more than a few per week 123 See alsoTransport on Saint Helena Economy of Saint HelenaReferences St Helena VISITORS TO ST HELENA HIGHLIGHTS IN 2018 Archived from the original on 2 February 2019 Retrieved 2 February 2019 Aerdrome Chart ICAO St Helena St Helena Airport PDF AIP Saint Helena 28 April 2016 Archived from the original PDF on 16 June 2016 Retrieved 6 April 2016 St Helena Government Information Memorandum PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Cancellation of Notice To Airmen St Helena Sainthelena gov sh 1 July 2016 Archived from the original on 26 October 2016 Retrieved 25 July 2017 Saint Helena Island Info All about St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean Fly Yourself Here Sainthelenaisland info Archived from the original on 25 March 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2017 a b ST HELENA PREPARES FOR INAUGURAL FLIGHT St Helena 10 October 2017 Archived from the original on 14 October 2017 Retrieved 14 October 2017 Pillay Kavitha 22 September 2017 FindYourEscape Airlink flights to St Helena from SA now on sale traveller24 com Archived from the original on 23 September 2017 Retrieved 23 September 2017 Airlink s Emmbraer E190 E Jets Commence Commercial Services Press release Flyairlink com 3 August 2017 Archived from the original on 24 August 2017 Retrieved 23 September 2017 Sa Airlink To Provide Scheduled Air Services To St Helena And Ascension Island St Helena Sainthelena gov sh 21 July 2017 Archived from the original on 25 August 2017 Retrieved 23 September 2017 First flight lands on remote St Helena BBC News 14 October 2017 Archived from the original on 20 June 2018 Retrieved 21 June 2018 St Helena issues second RFP for scheduled services ch aviation com Archived from the original on 27 February 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2017 a b AIRPORT OPENING CEREMONY POSTPONED Archived 26 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine St Helena Government 26 April 2016 a b bbc com St Helena airport delay to increase cost to UK government Archived 27 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine 9 May 2016 a b DFID Consultation Document Annex A Summary of cost benefit analysis and financial costs PDF DFID 16 April 2009 p 12 Archived from the original PDF on 2 February 2011 St Helena airport a key Falklands link news article United Press International Inc 7 November 2011 Archived from the original on 2 February 2012 Retrieved 8 August 2012 Jamestown St Helena Wharf Improvements Project EIA Phase 2 Final Report Archived 3 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine by the Government of St Helena 8 August 2011 St Helena Airport Environmental Statement Volume 2 Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine by Faber Maunsell AECOM p 17 3 Interview with Craig Penwarden Renewable Energy Engineer at Saint Helena Government YouTube Archived from the original on 23 May 2012 Retrieved 28 November 2016 a b David Lawson Island in the Sun Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Property Week 30 September 2005 Retrieved 29 August 2007 Robin Stummer and Daniel Howden The Battle for St Helena Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Ezilon Infobase 20 October 2005 Retrieved 28 August 2007 St Helena scrub and woodlands Terrestrial Ecoregions World Wildlife Fund Retrieved 28 August 2007 Departure Delayed Private Eye No 1167 15 28 September 2006 Kettle Martin 26 September 2008 Salvaged with a kiss Maybe but Brown s woes run deep The Guardian Archived from the original on 12 March 2017 Retrieved 13 December 2016 Owen Bowcott 1 Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian 10 December 2008 Retrieved 2008 DEC 10 a b Basil Read awarded contract to construct airport on St Helena Island Archived 17 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine Basil Read company website 4 November 2011 retrieved 2011 DEC 24 a b Airport Approved PDF The St Helena Herald Vol XI no 28 4 November 2011 p 4 permanent dead link Airport News Archived 10 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine St Helena Independent Volume VI Issue 49 21 October 2011 p 2 a b Basil Read s second team Visits and first St Helenian employed St Helena Herald Volume XI no 35 23 December 2011 p 5 permanent dead link a b Second Basil Read Team Arrives permanent dead link The St Helena Herald Volume XI Number 33 9 December 2011 p 4 St Helena Access Feasibility Study Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine St Helena Government Department for International Development January 2005 p 17 a b St Helena Access Feasibility Study Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine St Helena Government Department for International Development January 2005 p 104 Basil Read wins R2 7bn contract to build St Helena s first airport Archived 7 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine Engineering News 3 November 2011 MarineTraffic com N P GLORY 4 database MarineTraffic com Archived from the original on 19 July 2012 Retrieved 7 November 2012 Sharon Henry NP GLORY 4 MAKES HISTORY DOCKING AT ST HELENA news article St The St Helena Broadcasting Guarantee Corporation Ltd Retrieved 7 November 2012 a b FIRST PROJECT VARIATION ORDER SIGNED Additional Runway Works to Allow for Future Expansion PDF press release St Helena Government Access Office 23 July 2012 Archived from the original PDF on 18 April 2013 Retrieved 7 August 2012 St Helena Government 12 July 2012 St Helena Airport Update PDF press release St Helena Government Archived from the original PDF on 4 January 2014 Retrieved 18 June 2012 St Helena Government 23 July 2012 Additional runway works to allow for future expansion press release St Helena Government Archived from the original on 24 December 2012 Retrieved 24 July 2012 a b Olsson Mikael 6 December 2013 Editorial PDF The St Helena Independent Vol IX no 1 Jamestown p 3 permanent dead link a b Design Changes PDF St Helena Airport Update No 31 Jamestown 13 June 2013 p 2 Archived PDF from the original on 4 January 2014 Retrieved 17 June 2013 Pipe Simon 8 November 2012 Doubt over eco resort as Shelco seeks direct flights to Europe St Helena Online Jamestown Archived from the original on 29 October 2013 a b Pipe Simon 14 June 2013 No flights from London Woah I m going to Barbados St Helena Online Jamestown Archived from the original on 30 October 2013 Labour dispute stops the construction of the St Helena airport in mid Atlantic MercoPress Retrieved 16 October 2019 St Helena Airport update no 48 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 25 July 2014 Retrieved 15 July 2014 homepage Fly to St Helena Archived from the original on 12 May 2014 Retrieved 11 May 2014 A Landing to be Remembered PDF Saint Helena Independent 18 September 2015 p 6 Weaver Emma 17 September 2015 Remote St Helena island welcomes first flight The Guardian Archived from the original on 29 April 2016 Retrieved 13 December 2016 First landing ever in St Helena airport scheduled for next week as part of calibration flights Archived from the original on 15 September 2015 Retrieved 14 September 2015 a b AIRPORT BOARD GRANTS ADDITIONAL TIME TO ACHIEVE OPERATIONAL READINESS Saint Helena Airport Project www sainthelenaaccess com Archived from the original on 21 February 2016 Retrieved 19 November 2015 St Helena Access Feasibility Study Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine St Helena Government Department for International Development January 2005 p 117 Pictures Comair 737 arrives at new St Helena airport flightglobal 20 April 2016 Archived from the original on 20 April 2016 Retrieved 20 April 2016 British Airways flight struggles to land on St Helena runway video Business The Guardian 22 September 2016 Archived from the original on 28 July 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2017 MAINTAINING ACCESS TO ST HELENA amp ASCENSION Saint Helena Airport Project www sainthelenaaccess com Archived from the original on 29 July 2017 Retrieved 11 June 2016 The Air Access Project Atlantic Star Airlines Archived from the original on 6 January 2015 Retrieved 12 January 2015 On St Helena Day 21 May 2016 begins air link of the island with South Africa MercoPress En mercopress com 23 May 2015 Archived from the original on 24 May 2015 Retrieved 25 July 2017 RMS Sailing Schedule extended until February 2018 RMS St Helena RMS St Helena 15 December 2016 Archived from the original on 7 October 2017 Retrieved 15 October 2017 ST HELENA AIRPORT CERTIFIED Saint Helena Airport Project www sainthelenaaccess com Archived from the original on 29 July 2017 Retrieved 15 May 2017 St Helena Airport step closer to operating as final RMS journey on the horizon Archived 13 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine Traveller24 12 May 2016 Milestone for St Helena Airport certification for aviation safety and security standards MercoPress Archived from the original on 27 October 2016 Retrieved 27 October 2016 St Helena Airport re opens 5 October 2018 Archived from the original on 9 October 2018 Retrieved 9 October 2018 a b Mahr Krista 25 April 2017 How a Windy Airport Could Ruin Plans to Bring Tourists to One of the World s Most Remote Islands Newsweek com Archived from the original on 1 May 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2017 Wildcat loose Janes Retrieved 23 October 2015 Wildcat maritime attack helicopter takes to the seas Western Gazette Archived from the original on 4 September 2015 Retrieved 23 October 2015 Wildcat becomes first helicopter to land at St Helena Airport Royal Navy Archived from the original on 24 October 2015 Retrieved 23 October 2015 FIRST EVER MEDEVAC FLIGHT CRITICALLY ILL SAINT TRANSFERRED TO CAPE TOWN Saint Helena Airport Project www sainthelenaaccess com Archived from the original on 17 September 2016 Retrieved 11 June 2016 Is Atlantic Star The Solution To St Helena Airport Wind Shear Archived 24 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine 22 October 2016 EMBRAER TRIAL FLIGHT CONFIRMED LARGE PASSENGER AIRCRAFT TO LAND ON TUESDAY Saint Helena Airport Project www sainthelenaaccess com Archived from the original on 20 December 2016 Retrieved 3 December 2016 Bob St Helena 3 December 2016 Long landing of Embraer E190 at St Helena Airport on 1st Dec 2016 Archived from the original on 20 December 2016 Retrieved 3 December 2016 via YouTube C130 Hercules at St Helena Airport First Military Flight Landing Whatthesaintsdidnext com 18 December 2016 Retrieved 25 July 2017 SAAF C 130BZ lands at St Helena now back in SA DefenceWeb co za 27 July 2017 Archived from the original on 28 July 2017 Retrieved 28 July 2017 Vince Thompson 18 October 2013 Atlantic Star The Only Plane in the St Helena Sky The St Helena Independent Vol 8 no 44 Jamestown p 9 Archived from the original on 6 December 2017 Retrieved 20 March 2015 Air Access Office Frequently Asked Questions St Helena Airport Project St Helena Government Archived from the original on 27 November 2013 Retrieved 12 January 2014 WS Atkins plc October 2004 St Helena Access Feasibility Study PDF WS Atkins plc p 3 Archived from the original PDF on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 14 January 2014 WS Atkins plc October 2004 St Helena Access Feasibility Study PDF WS Atkins plc p 4 Archived from the original PDF on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 14 January 2014 AIR SERVICES TO ST HELENA 16 March 2015 Archived from the original on 20 March 2015 Retrieved 19 March 2015 The St Helena Independent Saint FM 13 August 2014 Archived from the original on 6 December 2017 Retrieved 20 March 2015 Falkland Islands Current News Articles by SARTMA com 12 April 2015 Archived from the original on 12 April 2015 ASCENSION AIR SERVICE TO AND FROM ST HELENA St Helena Government 9 October 2015 Archived from the original on 10 October 2015 Retrieved 21 October 2015 ASCENSION AIR SERVICE TO AND FROM ST HELENA Saint Helena Airport Project Sainthelenaaccess com 9 October 2015 Archived from the original on 29 October 2015 Retrieved 25 July 2017 Best value flights to St Helena Atlantic Star Airlines Best value flights to St Helena Atlantic Star Airlines Archived from the original on 6 January 2015 Retrieved 12 January 2015 ST HELENA AIRPORT STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR LISA PHILLIPS Saint Helena Airport Project www sainthelenaaccess com Archived from the original on 1 July 2016 Retrieved 22 June 2016 Best value flights to St Helena Atlantic Star Airlines Best value flights to St Helena Atlantic Star Airlines 17 October 2016 Archived from the original on 27 October 2016 Retrieved 27 October 2016 AIR SERVICES TO ST HELENA 6 February 2017 Archived from the original on 29 July 2017 Retrieved 15 May 2017 HISTORIC ARRIVAL OF CHARTER FLIGHT 3 May 2017 Archived from the original on 4 May 2017 Retrieved 3 May 2017 St Helena sees maiden commercial pax flight Archived from the original on 4 May 2017 Retrieved 10 June 2017 Oliver Smith 8 May 2017 First flight finally lands at world s most useless airport Telegraph Archived from the original on 15 May 2018 Retrieved 25 July 2017 SA Airlink wins bid for commercial air services to St Helena 9 June 2017 Archived from the original on 9 June 2017 Retrieved 10 June 2017 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 29 July 2017 Retrieved 22 July 2017 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link The world s most useless airport is finally getting its first scheduled flight The Independent 25 July 2017 Archived from the original on 22 November 2017 Retrieved 27 July 2017 AIRLINK COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL PROVING FLIGHT TO ST HELENA St Helena 22 August 2017 Archived from the original on 14 October 2017 Retrieved 14 October 2017 Tina Wagner www facebook com 11 seats added to Airlink flight between Jozi and St Helena Island here s why 6 March 2019 Archived from the original on 6 March 2019 Retrieved 6 March 2019 Traffic rights scuttle Airlink s Cape Town St Helena plans Archived from the original on 14 February 2018 Retrieved 13 February 2018 Airlink Ascension Island Government 5 October 2017 Archived from the original on 14 October 2017 Retrieved 28 January 2018 Remote St Helena airport shrugs off world s most useless tag 27 April 2018 ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS TO ST HELENA AND ASCENSION 4 May 2018 Archived from the original on 7 May 2018 Retrieved 6 May 2018 New flights open up Napoleon s hidden Atlantic island to international visitors AIRLINK FLIGHT POSTPONED sainthelena gov sh or Archived 17 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine New restrictions on entry by air to St Helena 17 March 2020 St Helena Cut Off From The World As Flights Grounded Simple Flying March 26 2020 St Helena Medevac flight today Sarsfield Kate 21 April 2020 First Airbus airliner lands on St Helena Flight Global Airlink back on St Helena St Helena Airport Limited 19 May 2019 Retrieved 9 July 2020 CAN France s repatriation flight left Geneva at 10 18 CEST 08 18 GMT As far as I know this was the first non stop flight from Europe to the island Geneva St Helena in 7 hours and 48 minutes 19 July 2020 Repatriation Charter Flight St Helena Government 8 July 2020 Retrieved 9 July 2020 Saint FM Community Radio 30 July 2020 Another successful visit to St Helena by Titan Airways 2 December 2020 St Helena Airport Runway Designator Change Feb 2022 retrieved 20 November 2022 Public Holiday Declared to Mark Visit of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh Public Events Announced St Helena Government 17 January 2024 Retrieved 22 January 2024 On Friday 26 January 2024 His Royal Highness will officially open St Helena International Airport and unveil a plaque to commemorate the event St Helena ready to welcome first scheduled flights in almost two years 16 February 2022 Retrieved 6 March 2022 New flights open up Napoleon s hidden Atlantic island to international visitors 31 October 2019 Airlink Ascension Island Government Ascension Island Government 5 October 2017 Archived from the original on 14 October 2017 Retrieved 15 October 2017 Titan Airways Charter Flights August 2021 To March 2022 a b FHSH 2 15 PDF Archived PDF from the original on 16 January 2017 Retrieved 13 January 2017 Application Drawings CI 01 1001 General Runway Layout Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Airport Development Application 2004 Today St Helena Airport Welcomed the Royal Air Force and its biggest visitor to date the C17 Frequently Asked Questions Saint Helena Airport Project Sainthelenaaccess com 10 May 2016 Archived from the original on 25 July 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2017 First Operational Trial at St Helena Airport PDF Archived from the original PDF on 3 June 2016 Retrieved 20 May 2016 St Helena Access Project Memorandum Overseas Territories Department Department for International Development DFID January 2005 p B 6 St Helena Access Feasibility Study Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine St Helena Government Department for International Development January 2005 p 13 St Helena Access Feasibility Study Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine St Helena Government Department for International Development January 2005 p 317 Thales wins navigation contract for St Helena Island s first airport press release Thales Group 7 November 2012 Archived from the original on 22 November 2012 Retrieved 9 November 2012 Honeywell to provide aircraft landing assurance at St Helena s first airport press release Honeywell International Inc 3 April 2014 Archived from the original on 6 April 2015 Retrieved 11 May 2014 Aviation on St Helena who can fly to St Helena External links nbsp Media related to Saint Helena Airport at Wikimedia Commons Saint Helena Access official website Shelco website DFID Website on air access Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Saint Helena Airport amp oldid 1213582369, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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