On April 26 the St Helena Government confirmed that further safety and operational work is required prior to the official opening of the island’s new airport – and that this event, originally set for May 21, has therefore been postponed. No revised date has yet been announced.

Last week the island’s air service provider, Comair, brought a Boeing 737-800 aircraft to St Helena from South Africa on an ‘implementation flight’. The crew was able to gather real time information on the conditions at St Helena’s new Airport to assist in preparations for the commencement of scheduled air services. The objectives of the Implementation Flight included route assessment, airside operations, passenger and cargo handling, training and various aspects of safety at St Helena Airport.

One outcome of the implementation flight has been the gathering of additional data on turbulence and windshear on the approach to Runway 20 (from the North). As a result of the data gathered and the conditions experienced, it has been decided that there is some additional work to be done in order to ensure the safe operation of scheduled passenger flights to and from St Helena Airport.