An airport in the Bahamas that closed with little notice in April has been reopened for limited daytime use, with a more regular operating schedule expected in about two weeks.
Staniel Cay Airport reopened Nov. 18, with a newly paved 3,000-foot-by-75-foot runway, said the Ministry of Transport and Aviation in a news release.
The airport’s hours of operation will be between sunrise and 3 p.m. daily “until final construction on the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) has been satisfactorily completed. It is anticipated that this process will be completed in two weeks’ time, allowing for regular operational hours to be re-introduced, that is from official sunrise to official sunset,” the ministry said.
The ministry said in the announcement that the airport’s closure on April 9 was ordered after safety concerns were raised during a runway inspection.
The closing—without notice except for a notam—surprised tour operators and other users because Staniel Cay is a popular destination in the Exuma chain, and was one of few Bahamas airports to experience an increase in private aircraft use in recent years.