The remote British colony of St Helena in the southern Atlantic Ocean is to get a $344 million airport, six years later than originally planned, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) has announced.
Home to a population of just over 4,000, up until now the small island has only been accessible by sea, and in particular by way of the RMS St Helena – the only regular ship to call at St Helena. The UK government previously announced plans for an airport to be built on the island back in 2005, but these were put on hold in 2008 due to funding issues.
The South African construction company Basil Read has been awarded the contract to design, build, operate and transfer the airport, while the UK government’s DFID will finance the project. Andrew Mitchell, International Development Secretary, said the airport would go-ahead now an acceptable price had been achieved.
He said that in real terms the agreed contract for design and construction represented a saving of 20% on prices negotiated in 2008, when the project was put on hold. In the long term the gateway is expected to help to reduce the island's dependency on annual British aid, which reached £26 million year last.
Andrew Mitchell said: “St Helena is a British territory and so it is right that we find a way to secure its long-term future. “A new airport will reverse decades of decline and reduce the island's dependency on yearly handouts.
"We're facing tough times at home and I was determined to negotiate a contract that represents better value for money for the UK taxpayer and gives St. Helena a real chance of economic growth and financial independence.”The airport should eventually make the island financially independent, no longer reliant on funding from the UK government.
The UK government believes a new airport is the best way to bring new financial opportunities to the island, not least a boom in tourism. At present just 950 visitors make the trip to St Helena each year by ship. With an airport it is estimated that the number of tourists visiting will grow to around 30,000 a year.
The design phase of the $344 million project is scheduled to commence immediately, and construction is expected to take place over a 48-month period. Due to open in 2015, those who want to visit the island by air will have to go to South Africa first.
According to Basil Read, the scope of work includes building a 1,850m runway with a taxiway and apron to cater for aircraft up to the size of an Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-800. A 3,500sqm terminal building will be built, as well as an air traffic control tower and a 14 km airport access road and all related infrastructure.
After construction, the operations phase of the airport contract will continue in partnership with Lanseria Airport for a further period of ten years at an estimated contract value of $58 million. The island of St Helena, measuring 16km by 8km, is one of the world’s most remote locations, located approximately 1,900km from Africa, with Ascension Island as its nearest neighbour more then 1,000km away.
The Island is famous for where the French Emperor Napoleon was exiled following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. He died on the island in 1821.