Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport
| Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||
| IATA: EIS – ICAO: TUPJ | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | BVIAA | ||||||||||
| Serves |
 British Virgin Islands | ||||||||||
| Location | Beef Island | ||||||||||
| Hub for | BVIAirways | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 16 ft / 5 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 18°26′44″N 064°32′35″W / 18.44556°N 64.54306°WCoordinates: 18°26′44″N 064°32′35″W / 18.44556°N 64.54306°W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  EIS Location in the British Virgin Islands | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (IATA: EIS, ICAO: TUPJ), previously known as Beef Island Airport, is the main airport serving the British Virgin Islands, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. The airport serves as the gateway to just about all of the islands within the BVI. Many travellers fly into Beef Island, with the intention of taking a ferry to the other smaller British Virgin Islands. The airport is located on Beef Island, a small island off the main island of Tortola, to which it is connected by the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.
Overview
The Terrance B. Lettsome airport underwent a major $55 million renovation in 2004. After dredging was completed the runway was expanded to allow larger planes to operate into the airfield. This renovation was the largest capital project ever undertaken in the territory at that time. However, the airport currently does not receive any scheduled airline passenger jet service. The largest aircraft serving Tortola is the 64 passenger seat ATR-72 turboprop aircraft operated by Leeward Islands Air Transport (LIAT). Recently, Seaborne Airlines began operating Saab 340 turboprop aircraft into the airport.
Some of the highlights of the renovation and expansion project include:
- A new 46,000 sq ft (4,300 m2). terminal building
- An enlarged flight apron
- A new control tower
- 3,700 ft (1,128 m). runway extension
- New airport road with expanded parking (150 parking stalls)
There is a $20 departure tax for anyone over the age of five years.
The airport houses the BVI Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.[2]
In 2016 the Government announced an expansion of the airport to increase the runway size by 2,504 feet.[3][4] This followed years of speculation and proposals; discussions about expansion and how to finance it were being undertaken in 2014.[5][6] Although initial reports indicated that the United Kingdom had approved the necessary financial borrowing,[7] later reports suggested that the UK's consent had been withheld in connection with concerns about the financial viability of the project.[8] Under agreed financial protocols, external borrowing by the BVI Government needs to be approved by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Sunshine | Anguilla, San Juan, Saint Thomas, Nevis, Dominica, Sint Maarten |
| Cape Air | San Juan Seasonal: Saint Thomas |
| InterCaribbean Airways | Antigua, San Juan, St. Maarten (begins 19 December 2016)[9] |
| LIAT | Antigua, Sint Maarten, Saint Kitts, San Juan Seasonal: Barbados |
| Seaborne Airlines | San Juan |
| Sky High Aviation Services | Santo Domingo-Las Americas |
Historically, in 1986 the airport had scheduled passenger jet service operated by British Caribbean Airways,[10][11] with direct flights to Miami. British Caribbean operated a British Aerospace BAe 146-100 jetliner. This was the only time that Tortola had airline jet service.
The Return Of Miami Flights
Thirty years after the short-lived British Caribbean Airways offered jet service to Miami using British Aerospace BAe 146-100 aircraft, Tortola based BVI Airways will soon start Miami service using BAe 146-100 airliners. Unlike British Caribbean Airways, BVI Airways will have no intermediate stops for fuel. One of their planes arrived at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.[12]
Charter
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Sunshine | San Juan, Saint Thomas, St. Croix |
| Fly BVI - Caribbean Air Charter | Anegada,Virgin Gorda, Saint Thomas, San Juan, Antigua, Barbados, Dominica-Melville Hall, Providenciales, Grenada, Nevis, Punta Cana, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia-Hewanorra, Saint Lucia-Vigie, Saint Vincent |
| Island Birds | San Juan, Saint Thomas, St. Croix, Sint Maarten, Anguilla, Antigua, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Barbuda |
| VI Air Link | Anegada, Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Canouan, Curaçao, Dominica-Melville Hall, Fort-de-France, Grand Turk, Grenada, Kingston, La Romana, Montego Bay, Nassau, Nevis, Pointe-à-Pitre, Port-au-Prince, Port of Spain, Providenciales, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia-Hewanorra, Saint Lucia-Vigie, Saint Vincent, San Juan, Santo Domingo-Las Américas, Sint Maarten |
Cargo
| Airline | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Cargo Carriers | San Juan |
| Air Sunshine | Anguilla, Dominica, Nevis, St. Thomas, San Juan |
| DHL Aviation | St. Barthelemy |
| FedEx Feeder operated by Mountain Air Cargo |
San Juan |
Accidents and incidents
- On 5 April 1971, Douglas C-47A N57372 of Vinair was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Beef Island Airport. The aircraft was operating an international cargo flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico.[13]
- On 6 May 1993, a Short 330 turboprop operated by Atlantic Air BVI overran the runway and landed in the sea after aborting on takeoff. It was a passenger flight, and all passengers and crew survived. The airframe was damaged beyond economic repair, and was sunk as a scuba diving site off Great Dog Island.[14]
References
- ↑ Airport information for Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- ↑ "BVI Outstation." Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 23 December 2012.
- ↑ "Airport Development Project To Be A "Game Changer"". GIS. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ "Gov't picks model, to continue operate airport". BVI News. 26 January 2016.
- ↑ "Projected Cost Of Airport Expansion Not Coming Down - Legislator". Platinum News. 13 February 2014.
- ↑ "PEP & VIP Oppose Airport Expansion Project". The Island Sun. 1 November 2014.
- ↑ "UK agrees to 'affordable' airport project in BVI". BVI News. 21 January 2016.
- ↑ "UK raised concern about airport traffic, other plans". BVI News. 9 August 2016.
- ↑ http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/269649/intercaribbean-proposing-st-maarten-service-from-dec-2016/
- ↑ http://www.airliners.net/photo/British-Caribbean-Airways/British-Aerospace-BAe-146-100/1768255/&sid=287757bb253dde712d9fd3e54523b9bb
- ↑ http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Caribbean/Airlines-Caribbean-AZ/British-Caribbean-Airways/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTWJZ0C5r_I BVI AIRWAYS FIRST JET TO ARRIVE IN VI
- ↑ "N57372 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
- ↑ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 7 February 2011.