Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport
Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | BVIAA | ||||||||||
| Serves | Tortola, British Virgin Islands | ||||||||||
| Location | Road Town | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 16 ft / 5 m | ||||||||||
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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.[2]
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, Sint 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.[3]
- 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.[4]
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.
- ^ "N57372 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
