Douglas–Charles Airport
| Douglas–Charles Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: DOM – ICAO: TDPD | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Dominica | ||||||||||
| Operator | Dominica Air & Sea Ports Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Roseau | ||||||||||
| Location | Dominica | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 73 ft / 22 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 15°32′49″N 061°18′00″W / 15.54694°N 61.30000°WCoordinates: 15°32′49″N 061°18′00″W / 15.54694°N 61.30000°W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  DOM Location in Dominica | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Douglas–Charles Airport (IATA: DOM, ICAO: TDPD), formerly known as Melville Hall Airport, is an airport located on the northeast coast of Dominica, 2 mi (3.2 km) northwest of Marigot, it is about one hour away from the second largest city Portsmouth. It is one of only two airports in the island nation of Dominica, the other being Canefield Airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of Roseau. Night service to the airport has recently been approved after a series of tests and studies by the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organization respectively.
History
The Melville Hall area was chosen as the site for Dominica's main airport in 1944, for it was the only place on the island with extensive flat land.[2] It was only after the completion of the Transinsular Road from Belles to Marigot, in 1958, that work on the airport began.[2][3] The facility opened on 22 November 1961, and was first served by Dakotas from BWIA.[3]
In 2006 an airport expansion and upgrade program began which entailed the expansion of the terminal building to include a new departure lounge, customs and immigration section and check in area. The runway and apron were also extended and new night landing and navigational aids were installed. These enhancements had an extended completion date of mid-2010.
The first-ever night landing using the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) was conducted on 9 August 2010 by the Caribbean airline Winair.[4]
Regular night landings at the airport began on 20 September 2010; the first flight, from LIAT, flew from V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua. The Netherlands Antilles' Winair and Venezuela's Conviasa also serve night flights to the airport.[5]
The airport was renamed from Melville Hall Airport to Douglas–Charles Airport on 27 October 2014 in honour of Prime Ministers Rosie Douglas and Pierre Charles.[6]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Sunshine | Dominica, San Juan, Anguilla, Nevis, Sint Maarten, Tortola, Virgin Gorda |
| Amerijet International | Miami |
| Hummingbird Air | Saint Croix, Saint Thomas |
Other facilities
The airport houses the Dominica Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.[7]
References
- ↑ Airport information for TDPD at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- 1 2 Honychurch, Lennox (2005). "Development and Welfare". The Dominica Story (3rd ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 0-333-62776-8.
- 1 2 Cracknell, Basil E. (1973). Dominica. David & Charles Ltd. pp. 103–4. ISBN 0-8117-0531-5.
- ↑ Staff (11 August 2010). "First Ever Night Landing Conducted at Melville Hall Airport". Dominica Central Newspaper. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ↑ Staff (15 September 2010). "Night Landing Officially Begins in Dominica on Monday". Dominica Central Newspaper. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
- ↑ "It is now Douglas-Charles Airport". Dominica News Online. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ↑ "Dominica Outstation." Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 23 December 2012.
External links
- Melville Hall Airport Expansion Project Continues, 15 Feb 2006