Benutzer:Shi Annan/Argyle International Airport

Argyle International Airport Vorlage:Airport codes, is a newly constructed international airport in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The project broke ground in 2008, and the airport officially opened on February 14, 2017 when a Dynamic Airways charter flight became the first international aircraft to touch down at Argyle. During the construction of the new airport, the International Airport Development Company (IADC) faced numerous challenges and controversies, causing major delays in the construction process. This resulted in the airport being completed 5 years after the originally forecasted completion date.

Air Canada Rouge, Caribbean Airlines, Sunwing Airlines and LIAT Airlines currently provide regularly scheduled passenger services at Argyle International Airport. American Airlines has announced it will begin serving the airport on December 15, 2018.

Costs

Government sources had originally stated that the airport project would cost around US$240 million or 700 million East Caribbean dollars and would replace Vorlage:Citation needed the existing E.T. Joshua Airport. Other sources cite a figure of one billion ($1,000,000,000) EC dollars as being nearer to the cost of the project. Some sources indicate that, when complete, the airport will have a passenger capacity nearly four times that of the E.T. Joshua Airport.

Overview

Attempts by the previous government led by Sir James Fitz-Allen Mitchell, Premier and Prime Minister of St.Vincent and the Grenadines for 19 years, (premier 1972-1974, prime minister 1984-2001) to lengthen the E.T. Joshua Airport runway were unsuccessful. Engineers had advised that the runway could have been extended by 2000 feet into the sea, as requested by American Eagle. At a projected cost of US $50 million, this would have allowed regional jets, with service as far as Miami and South America with up to 120 passengers, to safely fly in and out of E.T. Joshua Airport. According to Prime Minister Mitchell, his government invited tenders for the final design at Arnos Vale. He stated, "I turned over the contract documents for a successful tender by a Canadian company to my successor Arnhim Eustace to sign, but he decided to wait until the next election and cancelled the visit arranged for Kuwaiti officials". The original conceptual designs for the airport were developed by RCGA Architects-Interior Designers.

Due to limited direct international flights, some visitors and Vincentians who wish to travel extra-regionally continue to make connecting flights to and from Argyle International Airport with Grenadine Airways, Mustique Airways, Fly One Caribbean, SVG Air. and LIAT via Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados, Hewanorra International Airport in St. Lucia or the Maurice Bishop International Airport in Grenada.

Choice of location

Argyle International Airport from above.

Besides the possible upgrade of the E.T. Joshua Airport and the extension of its runway, two other sites were being considered for the construction of the new airport to accommodate more passengers and larger aircraft from cities that are further away: Argyle on the eastern side of the island and Kitchen on the southeast. Argyle was selected and work began on the 8th of August 2008. According to the Dr. Hon. Ralph Gonsalves administration, the government of Cuba, the Republic of China, and Venezuela were involved in helping with the construction of the airport. The runway was made to be 9,000 feet long and 150 feet wideVorlage:Citation needed.

The new airport was originally scheduled to open in 2011. As of February 2016 the project has cost in excess of EC $729 million with increases in costs expected and has suffered from many delays. Paving on the runway was still incomplete as of February 2016.

Opening

Argyle opening day

On January 23, 2017, The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) grants authorization for commencement of operations at the AIA. After five years of being behind schedule to open Argyle International Airport, its opening on the 14th of February 2017 was announced by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and reported in the Antigua Observer and The Stabroek News. However, the airport was only open for chartered flights for which the Government of St Vincent paid. To this date, there is no commercial traffic scheduled for this airport, other than Air Canada, Sunwing Airlines, Liat Airlines and Caribbean Airlines.

Caribbean Airlines made an inaugural chartered flight out of New York City, while Sunwing Airlines scheduled a chartered flight from Toronto. These two airlines touched down at the Argyle International Airport one hour apart for the grand opening.Air Canada made their inaugural flight from Toronto-Pearson to Argyle International on December 14, 2017. Flights from Toronto and New York City are now selling.

Facilities

Runway

The Argyle International Airport (AIA) is built on 290 acres (117 hectares) site and includes Passenger Terminal Buildings, a Cargo Terminal Building, an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) stations, signage, access roads, a runway, three aprons, two taxiways and other infrastructure.

The aprons are categorized as commercial, general aviation and cargo aprons.

The commercial apron covers 35,632 square meters (383,540 square feet) and serves international passengers, while the general aviation apron, located south of the commercial apron, covers 46,784 square meters (503,579 square feet).

The cargo apron, located further south below the general aviation apron, covers an area of 7,920 square meters (85,250 square feet) and also includes parking space for aircraft.

Runway 04/22 is 2,743 meters (9,000 feet) long, and 45 meters (148 feet) wide. The airport is designed to accommodate jets as large as the Boeing 747-400s.

There is also a commercial car park to accommodate about 250 cars, space for ten large buses and additional space for taxis and rental cars.

Terminal

Argyle departure lounge.

Argyle Terminals as seen from control tower.

The AIA was constructed with about 13,470 square meters (144,990 square feet) of floor space to accommodate 1.5 million travelers per year with a cargo terminal for imports and exports. Two (2) Terminal Buildings (International and Domestic) were built to accommodate 1,000 passengers per hour for arrival or departure. Both terminals cater to the needs of all travelers with a wheel chair service available upon request.

The International Terminal is equipped with three (3) elevators, two (2) escalators for ease of passenger movement throughout the building and two (2) state of the art glass jet bridges for international travel and docking of large commercial aircraft. Travelers also have several options as it relates to dining and shopping.

The Domestic Terminal caters to persons travelling to the Grenadines, comprising the islands of Bequia, Canouan, Mustique and Union Island. This terminal is located next to the arrivals hall and boasts a VIP lounge, a grab and go and an outside bar.

Navigation

The airport is equipped with modernized landing and navigational aids such as VOR and NDB, along with a fully lit runway, taxiways and apron for night operations. Precision approach path indicators, radio navigators and Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS). AIA falls under category nine (9) of the Aerodrome Category ICAO index.

The airport's official operating hours are 06:00–22:00.

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and shared charter flights to and from Argyle International Airport:

Air Canada Rouge at Argyle, tarmac view.

Airlines at Argyle, night view.

Airlines at Argyle, control tower view.

Passenger Airlines Vorlage:Airport-dest-list

Other facilities

• The airport housed the St. Vincent Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines Meteorological Services are on the airport property.

Controversy

Some observers have questioned whether St. Vincent and the Grenadines needs an international airport. If it does, they ask, can the country afford to build - and maintain - an international airport while running an EC$151 million deficit as of February 2016. All of this with public sector expenses increasing (Prime Minister Gonsalves announced in parliament in January 2016 that wages and salaries for central government employees will experience a "huge increase" in 2016 by 7.3 million EC dollars) taking the total to EC $281.8 million. The government also owes the private sector an amount nearing 100 million East Caribbean dollars.

In a "historic" address on August 8, 2005, Prime Minister Gonsalves stated, "Foreign investors often shy away from St. Vincent and the Grenadines when the limitations of air access arise due to the absence of an international airport". Critics have responded saying that the prime minister's statement is invalid and incorrect: on the contrary, many foreign concerns have invested in St. Vincent and the Grenadines from as early as the 1960s, after the Arnos Vale airport was constructed (and later renamed in memory of the humble E.T. Joshua). These investments include the highly-successful Mustique Company which also uses a well-organised, very effective shuttle from Grantley Adams International in Barbados direct to Mustique - which has its own appropriately-sized airstrip. It is a historical fact that the airstrip on Mustique was deliberately restricted in size as a function of the vision for Mustique as a very private, ultra-luxury destination that, therefore, would not want to facilitate any aircraft with a capacity to carry more that six persons at a time to Mustique. Mustique Company runs an internationally renowned, private, exclusive resort - one of the most successful globally - catering to the world's wealthiest - and has done so for 50 years - all without an international airport in St. Vincent. This was also accomplished by the several mid to high-end tourism plants in Bequia, Union island and Canouan (which all have airports as well).

External links

• Official website
• Saint Vincent airport diagram