Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport
Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport | |||||||||||
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AMSL 16 ft / 5 m | | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 18°26′44″N 064°32′35″W / 18.44556°N 64.54306°W | ||||||||||
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Runways | |||||||||||
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Overview
The Terrance B. Lettsome airport underwent a major $55 million renovation in 2004. After dredging was completed, the runway was expanded to allow larger planes to operate into the airfield. This renovation was the largest capital project ever undertaken in the territory at that time.
Some of the highlights of the renovation and expansion project include:
- A new 46,000 sq ft (4,300 m2) terminal building
- An enlarged flight apron
- A new control tower
- 3,700 ft (1,128 m) runway extension
- New airport road with expanded parking (150 parking stalls)
There is a $20 departure tax for anyone over the age of five years.
The airport houses the BVI Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.[2]
Expansion
In 2016 the Government announced an expansion of the airport to increase the runway size by 2,504 feet (763 m).[3][4] This followed years of speculation and proposals; discussions about expansion and how to finance it were being undertaken in 2014.[5][6] Although initial reports indicated that the United Kingdom had approved the necessary financial borrowing,[7] later reports suggested that the UK's consent had been withheld in connection with concerns about the financial viability of the project.[8] Under agreed financial protocols, external borrowing by the BVI Government needs to be approved by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
On 27 December 2016 the Government announced that the tender to expand the airport had been won by
However, in June 2017 the Government appeared to confirm that the proposed runway expansion would not be going forward.[10]
In 2019, a
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Air Sunshine | Dominica–Douglas-Charles, Nevis, Saint Kitts, Saint Thomas, San Juan Charter: Saint Croix, Sint Maarten |
American Eagle | Seasonal: Miami |
Cape Air | San Juan Seasonal: Saint Thomas |
Dominica-Melville Hall, Providenciales, Grenada, Nevis, Punta Cana, Saint Kitts, Saint Vincent, Vieux Fort
| |
Santo Domingo–Las Américas
| |
Island Birds | Charter: San Juan, Saint Thomas, Saint Croix, Sint Maarten, Anguilla, Antigua, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Barbuda, Dominica-Canefield |
Silver Airways | San Juan |
Santo Domingo–Las Américas
| |
Tradewind Aviation | Seasonal: San Juan (begins November 21, 2024)[12] |
Trans Anguilla Airways | Anguilla, Virgin Gorda |
Dominica-Melville Hall, Fort-de-France, Grand Turk, Grenada, Kingston, La Romana, Montego Bay, Nassau, Nevis, Pointe-à-Pitre, Port-au-Prince, Port of Spain, Providenciales, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Saint Vincent, San Juan, Santo Domingo-Las Américas, Sint Maarten, Dominica-Canefield
| |
Winair | Antigua, Saint Kitts,[13] Sint Maarten |
Historically, in 1986 the airport had scheduled passenger jet service operated by
The proposed return of jet service to Miami
Thirty years after the short-lived
Air BVI
Cargo
Airline | Destinations |
---|---|
Air Cargo Carriers | Dominica–Douglas-Charles, San Juan |
Air Sunshine | Anguilla, Dominica, Nevis, St. Thomas, San Juan |
DHL Aviation | St. Barthelemy |
FedEx Feeder operated by Mountain Air Cargo |
San Juan |
Accidents and incidents
- On 5 April 1971, a Douglas C-47 with registration N57372 operating an international cargo flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico crashed upon landing. The aircraft was heavily damaged and was written off.[19]
- On 6 May 1993, a Short 330 turboprop operated by Atlantic Air BVI overran the runway and landed in the sea after aborting on takeoff. All passengers and crew survived. The airframe was damaged beyond economic repair and was sunk as a scuba diving site off Great Dog Island.[20]
- On 18 July 2018, a private plane crashed after takeoff.[21] The pilot, who was the sole occupant in the plane, died.
See also
References
- ^ Airport information for Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- ^ "BVI Outstation." Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 23 December 2012.
- ^ "Airport Development Project To Be A "Game Changer"". GIS. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ^ "Gov't picks model, to continue operate airport". BVI News. 26 January 2016.
- ^ "Projected Cost Of Airport Expansion Not Coming Down - Legislator". Platinum News. 13 February 2014.
- ^ "PEP & VIP Oppose Airport Expansion Project". The Island Sun. 1 November 2014.
- ^ "UK agrees to 'affordable' airport project in BVI". BVI News. 21 January 2016.
- ^ "UK raised concern about airport traffic, other plans". BVI News. 9 August 2016.
- ^ a b "Chinese company selected for airport project". BVI News. 27 December 2016.
- ^ "Airport Project Killed?". BVI Platinum. 13 June 2017.
- user-generated source]
- ^ "Tradewind Aviation Adds San Juan – Tortola Service From Nov 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Winair Adds St. Kitts – Tortola Sector From mid-Jan 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "British Aerospace BAe-146-100 - British Caribbean Airways | Aviation Photo #1768255 | Airliners.net".
- ^ "British Caribbean Airways - Bruce Drum (airlinersgallery)'s Photos". airlinersgallery.smugmug.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Will BVI Airways ever fly? Date remain unknown on 'clear for take off'". Virgin Islands News Online. 19 December 2016.
The controversial bail out deal where a defunct airline that left owing the British Virgin Islands Airports Authority (BVIAA) close to US$100,000 is in the news again. The National Democratic Party (NDP) Government pumped some $7M of tax payers monies into the defunct BVI Airways, with a promise for direct flights between Miami, Florida, USA and the Terrence B. Lettsome International Airport at Beef Island. The public has been given three start dates for when the first flight was to commence; at the end of October 2016, the other end of November 2016 and the final December 2016. To date none of the dates have come to pass and the public, the media and the Opposition remain skeptical about the Government's investment on the taxpayers back.
- ^ "We need money to fly – BVI Airways lays off staff". BVI News. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
- ^ https://www.aa.com/homePage.do, American Airlines flight schedules between Miami and Tortola & American Airlines newsroom press release
- ^ "N57372 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
- ^ "One Dead In Beef Island Plane Crash". BVI Platinum. 19 July 2018.