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St Helena closed except Medevacs 2/10/2018

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St Helena closed except Medevacs 2/10/2018

Old 11th Oct 2018, 06:53
  #21 (permalink)  
 
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assume SA airlink will resume their JNB-WND (fuel only no traffic rights to pick up at WND) -HLE

They also have some Xmas and NY seasonal flights to ASI scheduled as well

www.flyairlink.com/additional-flights

Planned flights from CPT bit the dust because the Namibian Govt refused to allow them to use WND

As for atlantic Star airlines flights from/to the UK

Thank you to all of you who took the time to fill in the Christmas 2018 Flights survey and who showed your support for our enterprise - it is very much appreciated.
The results of the survey showed us that while there is a good level of interest in the flights for the UK to St.Helena return route, there is a much lower level of interest for the St.Helena to UK return route.
This differential in demand makes it difficult for Atlantic Star to deliver a commercially viable charter programme in 2018 as the northbound originating flight would be nearly empty which would result in a substantial increase in the price of the southbound tickets.

It is with a very heavy heart that we have therefore decided that Atlantic Star will not be launching a Christmas charter flight programme for 2018.
We will, however, revisit the opportunity to connect St.Helena direct to the UK when the market conditions are right to do so and a commercially viable service can be achieved.
We're sorry that we can't bring you more exciting news at this time, and thank you again for your ongoing support.
Rich, Aiden and Andrew
Directors, Atlantic Star
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 06:57
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no boat pax?

Originally Posted by Alan Baker
The cargo ship has a few passenger berths as there will always be people who can't or won't fly.
From the shipping Co.
The MV Helena is a dedicated cargo ship and as such, the opportunities to carry any passengers without making major modifications to the ship are limited. At present, the demand for passenger berths has not been demonstrated. AWSM will be converting one cabin to provide four berths equivalent to a C-Deck cabin on board the old RMS. Any further cabin capacity will be considered based on demand. If you are interested in passenger berths on board the MV Helena please contact us.
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 07:32
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Hmm does that mean that there is at the moment no way to travel in and out St Helena!?
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 07:47
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Yet another waste of British tax-payer money, on a useless project.

Who in their right mind would want to go to this place, and who thought that a commercial air operation could succeed when the airfield is plagued by weather problems.

Fools ...........
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 07:51
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The issue was sorted within 48 hours and the airport is open and only closed at weekends - apart from medevac - the original operator banged out - ands the govts own handling co was set up with the same people and issued a licence within 48 hrs - old news nothing changed and schedule remains - move along...!
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 08:05
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Originally Posted by gehenna
Yet another waste of British tax-payer money, on a useless project.

Who in their right mind would want to go to this place, and who thought that a commercial air operation could succeed when the airfield is plagued by weather problems.

Fools ...........
Spoken by someone with absolutely no idea.

St Helena is an amazing place. It is beautiful and the people are some of the friendliest I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 08:18
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"Waste of taxpayers money..etc..". Considering this is a rumour site for professional pilots and considering the wide choice of huge government money-wasting projects we have to compare it with, this airport comes out pretty well. Sure, geography, topography and economics together make the project bloody difficult -but potentially a game-changer for the local economy and the people there.
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 08:41
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Yet another waste of British tax-payer money, on a useless project.

Who in their right mind would want to go to this place, and who thought that a commercial air operation could succeed when the airfield is plagued by weather problems.

Fools ...........
All those little rocks around the world are far more valuable to the British taxpayer than you give them credit for.

Biodiversity in the overseas territories is globally significant. There are many examples: Ascension Island supports the second largest green turtle rookery in the Atlantic; Gough Island, near Tristan da Cunha, is one of the most important seabird islands in the world; and the Great Chagos Bank is the world's largest coral atoll. Over 75 per cent of the globally threatened species for which the United Kingdom is responsible are located on these small islands, which hold more bird species under threat of extinction than the entire European continent.
and so you dont think I am some greenie, they are also the centre of huge Mineral and Fishing rights not to mention strategic deep water ports and airstrips.
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 09:22
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Despite the criticism and carping, this an example of the UK Government actually looking after the interests of its people. The economic and social benefits to the island population will be huge, and the cost of the airport (and the new dock) has to be set against the saving of the millions of pounds that would have had to be spent on replacing the ageing RMS ST HELENA and subsidising her replacement for decades. The strategic aspects of a mid-atlantic base cannot be discounted either.
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 12:55
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Originally Posted by Jetscream 32
The issue was sorted within 48 hours and the airport is open and only closed at weekends - apart from medevac - the original operator banged out - ands the govts own handling co was set up with the same people and issued a licence within 48 hrs - old news nothing changed and schedule remains - move along...!
As the only once-weekly flight, on SAA from Jo'burg, operates on ... Saturdays, being "only closed at weekends" still seems odd.
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 12:59
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apologies - I was summarising this notice Opening Times of St Helena Airport
- closed Sunday Monday mainly - its open on Sat for the weekly flight with no changes...
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Old 12th Oct 2018, 00:57
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Gehenna

You seem to have overlooked the rather salient fact that the islanders are as British as you and I, with right of abode in Blighty should they wish.

Indeed many Saints do, and also help shore up the economies of Ascension and the Falkands.

The airport was an investment not borne out of luxury but indeed as a step to promote eventual self sufficiency. The weekly shuttle will now facilitate cargo such as the prized local crayfish catch. And tourism can only grow, now that the pricey time consuming sea journey is no more.

One-way travel time of 5.5 days, with regularly not so much as a seabird let alone other shipping to interrupt the monotony. If you're on island and need serious medical treatment, the airport is a boon whatever the weather restrictions.

And yes, its a lovely place.

Cooch
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Old 12th Oct 2018, 07:02
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Originally Posted by Jetscream 32
apologies - I was summarising this notice Opening Times of St Helena Airport
- closed Sunday Monday mainly - its open on Sat for the weekly flight with no changes...
It's open Tuesday to Saturday, fully staffed, for one flight on one day?
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Old 12th Oct 2018, 08:46
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Originally Posted by RickNRoll
It's open Tuesday to Saturday, fully staffed, for one flight on one day?
And have you seen the car parking provision ? ...

Parking at St Helena Airport

This on an island with a couple of thousand cars in total, generally old secondhand ones from Cape Town. Everywhere else they just park on the gravel.
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Old 12th Oct 2018, 09:43
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This morning the former RMS ST HELENA arrived in Gibraltar to take bunkers. You will recall she served the British Overseas Territory of St Helena and Ascension from Capetown and occasionally from the UK. When St Helena's new airport became operational, the vessel became surplus to requirements and was retired earlier this year. In April she was sold to MNG Maritime and renamed MNG TAHITI to serve as a 'vessel based armoury' in the Middle East. After three months, this project appears to have been abandoned and the ship has once again been sold on.
The new buyer has renamed her ST HELENA and she is on her way back to Portland, Dorset. It appears she will then undergo a two year refit to become a private yacht.
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Old 12th Oct 2018, 10:44
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Suspect that Gehenna is winding us up.
Someone who has spent most of this century working in a low tax country as an Dubai expat commenting on how UK taxpayers spend their money....Hmmmmmmm indeed.
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Old 12th Oct 2018, 11:51
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MORE parking!

Originally Posted by WHBM
And have you seen the car parking provision ? ...

Parking at St Helena Airport

This on an island with a couple of thousand cars in total, generally old secondhand ones from Cape Town. Everywhere else they just park on the gravel.
Why not use the airport 'OVERFLOW CAR PARK' !
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Old 12th Oct 2018, 14:39
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Arrow

Originally Posted by gehenna
For those of you who think that it was money well spent for the locals, great. What do they do for the British economy? Probably less than we do for them by a mile. It is time to look after citizens here in the England and close to our shores. We are very good at looking after anyone who can play the system, and that includes many illegal immigrants and 'legal' immigrants here.

I await the missives from the righteous.

Y'see, despite being a ginge, sweaty, weegie, jock, [and all the other unprintables that a small but vocal minority [##] of the the English label us Scots with], unlike this poster, I understand and appreciate the true meaning of loyalty.

[##] Yes we have this issue in Scotland to.
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Old 13th Oct 2018, 00:50
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Originally Posted by WHBM
And have you seen the car parking provision ? ...

Parking at St Helena Airport

This on an island with a couple of thousand cars in total, generally old secondhand ones from Cape Town. Everywhere else they just park on the gravel.
Good thing it is not in Australia. They would charge more for the parking than the flight. Free parking.....only the old can remember that.
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Old 13th Oct 2018, 16:00
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Today's flight is the once-monthly extension to Ascension Island, returning tomorrow, and appears quite nicely detailed on the FlightRadar site map.

Notable also is the sheer number of ME3 flights in the area heading from The Gulf to South America. There wer around 6 at one stage. I guess they overfly the island from time to time.
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