Salt Cay Airport will close to all traffic for about 60 days, between August 19 and November 17, during which time the Turks & Caicos Islands Civil Aviation Authority (TCICAA) will undertake runway repairs and renovation works.
Based on the timeline for the repairs, it is expected that the work will have been concluded in time for the scheduled reopening of the airport on November 18, interCaribbean Airways (JY, Providenciales), the only carrier currently serving it, said in a statement dated August 2.
A ferry service is available for travel between Grand Turk Island and Salt Cay to maintain access until the 822-metre-long 08/26 paved runway reopens, and a temporary helipad is being installed for any emergency operations needed during the project.
interCaribbean operates a fleet of two E145s, nine E120s, and three DHC-6s, but for its 6x weekly Salt Cay service it deploys a nine-seat BN-2.
Salt Cay was previously closed for two months from June 2017 due to safety concerns about the runway surface and other infrastructure. On that occasion, once the airfield's Aerodrome Certificate had expired, the TCICAA opted not to renew it because of the safety issues.
The new upgrade will be more extensive, with the TCICAA earmarking USD4.5 million for the repairs, the authority initially reported in a press release dated June 12.
The authority said that every effort was being made to ensure the works are undertaken at a time when the closure poses the least constraints to residents and visitors.
Specifically, the scope of the long-awaited works will include recarpeting and overlay work, pavement line-markings and airfield signage, storm-water drainage improvements, airfield electrical improvements, and perimeter fence relocation and installation. The taxiway and apron underlying and pavement surfaces will be renovated and the apron will be expanded.
