One of the most remote places in the world became a little less isolated today as the first commercial flight landed in the British overseas territory of St Helena in the South Atlantic.
The SA Airlink flight of 78 passengers left Johannesburg, South Africa on a six-hour journey, landing on the island 45 minutes late just before 2pm.
Famed for being the place where Napolean Bonaparte was exiled and eventually died, St Helena was previously only reachable by boat, with the RMS St Helena journey taking six hours from South Africa. Its final voyage will take place in February.
The South Atlantic British overseas territory of St Helena is now accessible by air, thanks to a £285million airport built with Department for International Development funds
Its airport, built with £285 million of funding from the Department for International Development, was due to open last year but the launch of commercial flights was delayed because of dangerous wind conditions.
Further trials were carried out in August and the airport was eventually given the go-ahead to begin operations by South African aviation authorities.
Flights between St Helena, which is 1,200 miles off the west coast of Africa, and Johannesburg will take six hours and 15 minutes including a stop in Windhoek, Namibia.
UK officials hope the improved accessibility will boost tourism and help make the island self-sufficient. St Helena currently receives £52 million in aid from the UK each year.
St Helena sits 1,200 miles off the west African coast in the South Atlantic Ocean and until today was only reachable by boat. Today the first ever commercial flight landed there. Pictured is its famed Devils Hole Black Rocks
The air link will also make it easier for islanders to access specialist medical care as well as education and employment opportunities.
A Government spokesman said: ‘Since her appointment, the Secretary of State (Priti Patel) has taken concrete steps to get the airport up and running.
‘This is an important moment in St Helena’s route to self-sufficiency.
‘It will boost its tourism industry, creating the opportunity to increase its revenues, and will bring other benefits such as quicker access to healthcare for those living on the island.’
A damning report by MPs published in December last year found that the airport project ‘unquestionably failed’ the British taxpayer and the residents of the island.
The island’s £285million airport was funded by the UK’s Department for International Development, but was delayed due to bad weather conditions. Picture is Swanley Cave
MPs on the influential Public Accounts Committee said it was ‘staggering’ that ministers and officials did not foresee the problem with wind.
The issue of wind shear on St Helena was noted by Charles Darwin on his voyage on the Beagle in 1836, and MPs challenged DfID about why it had commissioned an airport paid for by the British taxpayer without properly appreciating the danger of this effect.
Officials told the MPs that the department had commissioned a feasibility study by engineering consultancy Atkins and acted on its recommendations, as well as taking advice from the Met Office and aviation regulators.
With a population of only a few thousand, St Helena is a remote volcanic outpost covering just over 75 miles squared.
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