Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport

Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport
IATA: EIS ICAO: TUPJ
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	BVIAA
Serves	Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Location	Road Town
Elevation AMSL	16 ft / 5 m
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 07/25 1,415 4,642 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF

Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport from above

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 travelers 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.

The Terrance B. Lettsome airport underwent a major $55 million renovation in 2004. After dredging was completed the runway was expanded allowing larger planes into the BVI. These planes are not the large jumbo jets one could expect flying into St. Thomas or Puerto Rico. There are 64 passenger turbo prop airplanes, used for regional flying only. This renovation was the largest capital project ever at that time.

Some of the highlights of the 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 old.

The airport houses the BVI Outstation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.

Airlines and destinations

Scheduled

Airlines	Destinations
American Eagle	San Juan (ends March 31, 2013)
BVI Airways	Antigua, Dominica, Saint Kitts, Saint Maarten
Cape Air	San Juan
LIAT	Antigua, Bridgetown, Dominica, Georgetown, Nevis, Port of Spain, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Saint Maarten
Air Sunshine	St. Thomas, San Juan
Seaborne Airlines	San Juan

Charter

Airlines	Destinations
Anguilla Air Services	Anguilla, Antigua, Sint Maarten
BVI Airways	Anguilla, Nevis, Santo Domingo, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia
FlyMontserrat	Montserrat
St Barth Commuter	Saint Barthélemy
Trans Anguilla Airways	Anegada, Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Nevis, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts, Sint Maarten, Pointe-à-Pitre, Virgin Gorda
VI Air Link	Anegada, Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Canouan, Curaçao, Dominica, 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, Saint Lucia-Vigie, Saint Vincent, Santo Domingo, Sint Maarten

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.

• On 6 May 1993, Shorts 3-30 of 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 beyond economic repair, and was sunk as a scuba diving site off Great Dog Island.

External links

• http://www.bviaa.com/