St Helena has hit a significant milestone in its history, with the remote island successfully conducting a technical stop at its new airport, opening up a world of potential tourism possibilities.
The landing, which took place on 21 October, was important as there were concerns that it may be too dangerous to land a flight thanks to unpredictable wind conditions. But the successful attempt has resulted in Air Safety Support International (ASSI) issuing an Aerodrome Certificate, which also covers airport infrastructure, aviation security measures and air traffic control services.
The prospect of regular flights connects St Helena to the rest of the world, turning what would be a four-day voyage by sea into a flight from mainland Africa taking just a matter of hours.
The £201.5m (US$246.3m, €225.6m) airport development was commissioned in 2011, which includes a figure of £35.1m (US$42.9m, €39.3m) for its first 10 years of operation. The project aims to provide regular air services to St Helena, fulfilling the UK government’s commitment to improve access to the Island, which has in recent years seen major reforms to its immigration, investment, land development and tax regulations in an attempt to attract foreign investors.
A limit of 30,000 people has been put on the number of visitors by the government to protect the environment. The aim is to bring in low volume, high value tourism to make St Helena – which is currently reliant upon grant aid from the UK government – making the island self-sustainable.
At the forefront of these plans is a £70m (€64.1m, £57.3m) hotel, villa and golf course project by UK-based architecture firm Purcell. Also announced is the Jamestown Hotel initiative – a 70-room, £7.5m (US$9.2m, €8.4m) hotel development that will be made up of five converted historic buildings.
Currently on Unesco’s tentative list for World Heritage designation, St Helena itself is also a natural wonder, acting as a treasure trove of endemic biodiversity, with more than 400 known globally unique species across the 47sq m (121sq km) island. It also has a significant history, having in 1815 been selected by the British government as the place of detention for Napoleon Bonaparte, who died there in 1821.
