@HH
...people can make money running trips to Antarctica...
Indeed, however even there the air operations (Kenn Borek Air) are not done on a commercial basis, most of their flights are on contract to support the research bases, the commercial passengers are just an add-on. I believe - and if any Saints read this, please comment - the real issue is that the whole case behind the airport was to give a boost to the island economy by bringing in 100-150 tourists per week who would stay and spend their money there. Such volumes can only be sustained if the total flight cost stays under 1500-2000 pounds (from origin, not from SA). The return seat cost on a small BJ would be closer to 5000-7000 pounds, which would cut the tourist flow to a trickle, and even if much more were to be spent on the plane ticket, the per head spend on the island itself would not be much different.