I'll be making a trip down, I'm amazed by the feat of building the airport and I think it'll be a pretty interesting takeoff and landing experience as well. Basil Read have done absolute wonders for the island it would appear! For one there's the airport and all of it's ancillaries but also the other "odd jobs" they've done/are doing while they are there, such as the road, the new ship landing and the hotel they are building.
I think that Atlantic Star Airlines will be the preferred bidder, a home based airline, that's the 757 proposal. It makes a lot more sense than TAAG or SAA, and a plethora of codeshares couldn't go amiss, the island is so remote I don't think it makes a difference where the tourists are coming from, it'll attract a lot of people! I hope Ascension open up, I don't know why they aren't. It could make or break the flight, there's 500 miles difference between Helena-Ascension and Helena-Lubango for diversions.
Do you know what's happening here by any chance?
Gyazo - 92cce41a218e2ce444aace08f81a05ff.jpg Is the bit that looks like the end of the runway, the end of the runway? i.e are they leaving that bit of soil (is that the RESA)? I don't know why they cancelled the plans for EMAS, unless soil is cheaper/just as effective/more worth it? I think they decided to extend the runway to it's longest though didn't they? Instead of having to move all the machinery back to the island at a later date.