Airport to revitalise remote British colony of St Helena
Above: Jamestown, capital of Saint Helena.
It follows the award of the contract to South African construction firm Basil Read to build the airport.
The idea of an airport on the island has been considered since the 1960s, with the people of St Helena twice voting overwhelmingly for an airport – first in a referendum in 2002, then in a consultation in 2009.
Andrew Mitchell said: “It’s time to stop the years of dithering and give the people of St Helena the decision they have been waiting for since an airport was first promised by the Government in 2003.
“I believe an airport for St Helena will revitalise the island and ultimately make them self sufficient – no longer having to rely on UK funding. It will provide opportunities for tourism, business and improved access for this remote, remarkable island, and, in due course, a considerable saving to the UK taxpayer.
“We need to start treating the Saints as valued British citizens. We will build a new relationship with all the Overseas Territories, celebrating these unique outposts of Britishness with which we have such strong historic and cultural links.”
The airport will revitalise the British Overseas Territory of St Helena – one of the remotest islands in the world – which is currently only accessible via a week long boat journey from South Africa. It should eliminate the island’s reliance on aid in excess of £20 million from the UK every year.
Basil Read will design, build and operate the Island's airport for the Government of St Helena, with the project funded by the UK's Department for International Development (DfID).
The design phase of the £200m (R2.7bn) project is scheduled to commence immediately and construction is estimated to take place over a 48-month period. The scope of work entails a 1,850m quality concrete runway with taxiway and apron to cater for aircraft up to the size of an Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-800, approximately eight million m³ rockfill embankment through which a 750m long reinforced concrete culvert will run, an airport terminal building of 3,500m²and support infrastructure, air traffic control and safety, bulk fuel installation for six million litres of diesel and aviation fuel, a 14 km airport access road and all related logistics.
The island has been suffering economic and social decline, with more and more young people leaving the island to seek work and the average annual salary dipping to just £4,000. The airport should eventually make the island financially independent, not reliant on funding from the UK Government.
The UK Government believes a new airport is the best way to bring new financial opportunities to the island, not least a boom in tourism. At present just 950 visitors make the trip to St Helena each year by ship. With an airport it is estimated that more than 29,000 tourists will visit each year.
As well as rugged natural beauty, the island boasts historic sites like Napoleon’s tomb - he died on the island in 1821 - and rare wildlife, which will attract visitors. The airport is due to be completed in 2015 on the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Napoleon following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
After construction, the operations phase of the airport contract will continue in partnership with Lanseria Airport for 10 years.
Located approximately 1,900 km from Africa - with Ascension Island as its nearest neighbour over 1,000 km away - the island of St Helena (measuring 8x16km) is one of the world’s most remote locations. Home to a population of just over 4,000, the island’s only lifeline to the outside world has been the RMS St Helena (above) - the only regular ship to call at St Helena - which will be retired when the airport opens in 2015.
As a community that has no internal resources or industry to support its economy, the British government has been providing extensive financial support to the island, the majority of which is spent on maintaining and operating the RMS St Helena . It is hoped that the new airport will address some of the socio-economic difficulties on the island, and boost the prosperity of islanders through tourism and help stop the exodus of its already small population seeking work in Britain.
