New airport on St Helena island too risky to be used by big aircraft
Local construction firm Basil Read was appointed to build the airport to provide an air bridge and boost tourism to the island
British taxpayers coughed up £285.5m to build an international airport with a cliff-top runway on the remote island of St Helena, which cannot be used by commercial airlines. The UK House of Commons committee of public accounts published a scathing report on the project this week‚ saying it was "staggering" that the project was completed before the effects of dangerous wind shear conditions were ascertained. Large commercial aircraft cannot land there safely due to wind shear — sudden and unpredictable changes in wind direction. South African construction firm Basil Read was appointed to build the airport to provide an air bridge and boost tourism to the island‚ previously only reachable by ship.
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