Originally Posted by
Coochycool
Slight thread drift but you may or may not be aware that St. Helena is at long last getting an airfield, predicted to be operational late 2015.
Which for me begged the question where the airlink will fly to (Cape Town?), and what equipment they'll use.
Anybody any idea?
What are the chances that the occasional FI shuttle will get routed via?
I think that Cape Town itself is nearer to The Falklands than St Helena.
Regarding the new St Helena airport, as I understand it the intention is an A319/737-700 operation from Cape Town, but the 1,550m strip (a fraction longer than London City) exposed to Atlantic gales is surely going to be a bit of a challenge. Luanda in Angola is about the same distance, while the nearest airfield is of course Ascension Island. There's going to be a 6 million litre fuel store. Given that the only sea access to the island is by a ship anchored offshore craning onto lighters, I'm not quite sure how the bulk fuel will get there in the first place.