Residents of St. Helena are celebrating the arrival of the first passenger jet to land at the south Atlantic island’s $ 370 million (£285mn) airport, whose opening has been delayed for years due to unforeseen “dangerous wind conditions.”
An aircraft carrying 60 passengers touched down at the airport on Saturday after more than a decade of well-publicized blunders and delays. Costing the equivalent of over $ 78,000 (£60,000) for each person living on the island, the airport, dubbed “the world’s most useless,” is one of Britain’s most expensive per capita projects in recent times.
Plans to develop an airport on the British territory had been devised in 2005, but did not get approval from the British government until 2010. Construction eventually got underway one year later.
However, the project soon descended into farce when it was revealed that a decision to build a shorter runway meant the airport could only accommodate small aircraft, while shear winds forced an airliner to abort a test landing twice last year.
After safety concerns forced a delay in the opening of the airport in April of 2016, the British parliament conducted an inquiry into the project. A report from the public accounts committee published in December of last year said it was “staggering” that the island’s wind shear problems had not been foreseen.
Small private planes have been using the runway since it was completed last year.
Despite the controversy, St Helena’s local government were in celebratory mood as they posted pictures of the plane’s arrival online.
Councilor Derek Thomas told MercoPress: “It is a great day for St. Helena to receive our first flight of passengers, and a really good turnout from the people.
“Over the past year there have been many disappointments for air access but despite this our people have been patient while waiting for a successful outcome. The arrival of the aircraft today is one step nearer to commercial use of our airport.”
The plane did not hang around for long, however, making a quick turnaround with 48 passengers bound for Cape Town, South Africa via Windhoek.
Located in the middle of the Atlantic more than 1,000 miles (1,600km) west of the African coast, St. Helena has, until now, only been accessible by a boat operated by Britain’s Royal Mail. The lack of alternative transport left islanders stranded last month after the ship was placed in dry dock for repairs to its starboard propeller.
St. Helena’s remoteness has been useful to the British government in the past, however.
Napoleon was imprisoned on the island after being exiled by Britain in 1815. He would remain there until his death in 1821.
