St Helena Airport on the British island of St Helena in the South Atlantic has announced that an official opening ceremony will be held on May 21, 2016, marking the end of more than 11 years of planning and building work.
The new airport on the British Overseas Territory will be capable of handling Code C aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and will be operated by construction firm Basil Read for a concession period of 10 years. The opening ceremony will be attended by guest of honor Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
The island of St Helena is located in the South Atlantic Ocean, approximately 2,000km west of Angola in Africa. It has a population of more than 4,000 and had previously only been accessible by boat. In 2011, the British government’s Department for International Development (DFID) appointed Basil Read to construct an airport on a £250m (US$390m) design, build and operate contract.