NOTHING SPLENDID ABOUT THIS ISOLATION | Darrin Henry
Today, one year on from the
Comair landing of 2016, the St Helena Airport ‘fiasco’ continues.
SHG officials and DfID have tried to conceal that “there will be some slight delay” in the new tender process currently underway to select an air service provider for St Helena. The evaluation period of three months to choose a ‘preferred bidder’ could possibly take up to five instead.
This comes at a time when the RMS St Helena has broken down, Ascension Island runway has cracks and knocking down King & Queen Rock is being discussed.
The Problem With Early Summer
There is a delay in the air service tender.
St Helena Government (SHG) officials and the British Government’s, Department for International Development (DfID) attempted to hide a delay in the announcement of a ‘preferred bidder’ by quietly discarding reference to the published 28 April 2017 deadline, replacing it with the more broader language of “early summer”.
News that the tender is now delayed, by any period of time, will add to the overall sense of frustration felt by islanders.
To recap, this was the original timeline the new air service tender was supposed to follow:
6 February, 2017 – Bid submission deadline. SHG said it was “encouraged by the response.”
28 April, 2017 – Announcement of preferred bidder due.
31 May, 2017 – Signed, minimum three year contract with chosen air service provider due.
Commencement of scheduled air service then widely expected to begin sometime before the end of 2017.
All seemed on track until 24 March, 2017, when SHG posted an
airport update on their website which included this statement:
"It is hoped to announce the preferred bidder in early summer 2017."
Having previously promoted the original timeline on our blog as ‘
things we knew for sure,’ I was concerned.
I’ve since made six written requests to SHG for clarification on whether the 28 April, ‘preferred bidder’ announcement date still stands. The replies have all avoided confirming or denying the fact.
However, the situation was confirmed by Executive Councillor, Derek Thomas, who sits on the weekly Access Board.
“Yes, there has been some slippage in the process, I have to tell you, I’m aware of that, so there will be some deviation from the original dates,” said Mr Thomas. “There will be some slight delay.”
I looked up the term ‘early summer’ as it applies to UK. It seems this could stretch into the second half of June, in which case this could then push the signed contract to the end of July. Potentially the tender process could be delayed by two months, based on current language.
So, we have a delay. Big deal, some might say.
Sure, but why not just be up front and say so, then? A delay is not such an unreasonable probability, but the sneaky handling after everything that’s gone before, is cause for concern.
It’s difficult not to doubt supposed experts who incomprehensibly failed to adequately consider wind shear when building an airport on top of a 1,000 foot cliff.
It’s not just an island thing either. In November 2016 the UK, House of Commons, Public Accounts Committee panel referred to the project as a ‘fiasco,’ concluding, “Thus far, the Department (DfID) has unquestionably failed the residents of St Helena and the British taxpayer.”
Attempts to hoodwink the public with this latest delay underlines the worrying detachment of those in charge, from the impact this ‘fiasco’ is having on the lives of Saints and everyone affected.