Grantley Adams International Airport
| Grantley Adams International Airport |
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| IATA: BGI – ICAO: TBPB – WMO: 78954[1][2][4] |
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Government of Barbados | ||||||||||
| Operator | GAIA Inc.[3] | ||||||||||
| Serves | Barbados | ||||||||||
| Location | Seawell, Christ Church | ||||||||||
| Hub for | LIAT | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | ft / 52 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | ||||||||||
| Website | gaia.bb | ||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||
 Barbados airport diagram |
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 TBPB
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2014) | |||||||||||
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Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) (IATA: BGI, ICAO: TBPB) is the international airport of Barbados, located in Seawell, Christ Church. It is the only designated port of entry for persons arriving and departing by air in Barbados and operates as a major gateway to the Eastern Caribbean. The airport has direct service to destinations in the United States, Canada, Central America, South America and Europe and serves as the second hub for LIAT. In 2014, the airport was the 10th busiest airport in the Caribbean region after it was 9th ending 2013 been surpass by Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe the following year. The airport is also an important air-link for cruise ship passengers departing and arriving at the Port of Bridgetown,[6] and a base of operations for the Regional Security System (RSS), and the Regional (Caribbean) Police Training Centre.
The airport's former name was Seawell Airport before being dedicated posthumously in honour of the first Premier of Barbados, Sir Grantley Herbert Adams in 1976. The airport's timezone is GMT −4 and is in World Area Code region No. 246 (by the US Department of Transportation). It was a hub for now-defunct Barbadian carriers Caribbean Airways[7] and REDjet, the home for the charter carrier West Indies Executive Air, and former home to the flight training school Coconut Airways.
Contents
Overview and geography
Grantley Adams International Airport lies 12.9 km (8.0 mi) from the centre of the capital city Bridgetown, in an area officially known as Seawell. This is contrary to most information services stating the airport as being inside the capital. Grantley Adams Airport is the main air transportation hub for the Eastern Caribbean.
The terrain is relatively flat and quite suburban. The airport lies in the south-eastern portion of parish of Christ Church, close to the southern tip of the island. The airport has easy access to the ABC Highway/highway 7 heading towards the capital and locations to the north and west coast.
The airport has recently undergone a multi-phase US$100 million upgrade and expansion by the government, which added a new arrivals hall adjacent to the prior arrivals/departures terminals. Construction was made slightly more complicated because the airport has to remain open for up to 16 hours per day. Its current infrastructure is supposed to meet the needs of Barbados until at least 2015. The phase III construction project, which is yet to be completed will see changes made to the aeroplane parking configuration.[8]
History
Early years
Air transportation at the site of present-day facility, then known as Seawell Airport, goes back as far as September 1938 when a mail plane from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines landed on the site from Trinidad.[9] At the time there was merely a grassy strip as the runway. The strip was paved some time later and in 1949 the first terminal was built on the site, to replace a shed that was being used. This ushered in the facility being formally known as the Seawell Airport.[citation needed]
During the 1960s the eastern flight-range just south-east of the airport became known as Paragon. This area became the initial base of a 'High Altitude Research Project' known as Project HARP. Project HARP was jointly sponsored by McGill University in Canada and the United States military.[10]
In 1983, the US-sponsored invasion of Grenada prompted the United States to form another agreement with Barbados. As part of the deal, the US expanded a part of the current airport infrastructure. This prepared Grantley Adams Airport to be used as a base.[11] As part of the plan to maintain for lasting stability in Grenada, the United States assisted in the establishment of the Regional Security System (RSS) at the eastern Grantley Adams flight-range. The RSS was (and still is) a security unit focused on providing security for the Eastern Caribbean.
Grantley Adams International Airport, as it is known today, handles most large aircraft including Boeing 747s. The airport was one of the few destinations where British Airways' Concorde aircraft made regularly scheduled flights (and got repairs). The flight time of Concorde from the United Kingdom to Barbados was less than 4 hours.[citation needed] The first Concorde visit to Barbados was in 1977 for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. During the 1980s, the Concorde returned for commercial flights to Barbados and thereafter flew to Barbados during the busy winter season. On 17 October 2011, ZA006, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrived at BGI for testing. This was followed by an 24 October arrival of the Boeing 747-8i for further high humidity environment testing.
2000–2006 Expansion project
Since Grantley Adams International Airport had become a relatively busy airport for such a small island and based on an expected increase in future air traffic[12] the Government of Barbados commenced a US$100 million programme to revamp the airport's infrastructure.[13][14]
Phase I, which is now complete, saw an upgrading of the runways, taxiways, parking aprons, and approach lighting. This phase included the Government of Barbados acquiring private land adjacent to the landing strip to bring the airport into compliance with new international aviation regulations.[13][14]
Phase II (also complete) included adding a new arrivals terminal adjacent to the current building; moving arrivals from the older terminal, renovating the older terminal as a departures facility, and bringing the infrastructure into the new millennium.[13][14]
Expansion after 2006
On 1 June 2007, the Bds$1.7 million Club Caribbean Executive Lounge and Business Centre[15] was opened as an added amenity for business travelers. The centre contains 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) and is on the mezzanine level.[16] The centre is meant to be used by special customers of several airlines at the terminal.[17]
The Phase III expansion had to wait until the completion of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It envisions the addition of new airport terminal Jetway (gates), new spacious departure lounges much closer to the aeroplanes and air bridges to make connections much easier. Also nearing completion is the expanded duty-free shopping area and restaurants for travelers. In 2010 airport authorities stated that traffic to the airport was up 58%[18] and that a 20-25-year plan[19] was being formed for the facility including an addition to the taxiway and renovation of the cargo facilities up to international standards.
After the expansion project, the airport's arrivals facility was moved to a separate new 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m2) building adjacent to the previous structure. This allowed the departures area to occupy much of the previous shared structure. The new arrivals terminal was built with five large baggage carousels, along with customs and immigration windows.
Facilities
Terminals
Grantley Adams International Airport has two terminal buildings designed to appear as one single continuous structure.
The first structure and oldest is the current departures terminal. This terminal stretches from gates 11–13. Before the 2000–2006 expansion project, the original single terminal building housed both the arrivals and departures facilities. The former layout was divided in two with a few duty-free shops[20] and an open-air area in the middle with trees and other greenery which was open to both halves of the terminal. The new translucent membrane that towers over the airport shows where the old terminal was split in two. Additionally the membrane tent covers the gap between the old and new terminal and gives the appearance of being a single long building.
The new terminal spans gates 1–10. The terminal currently has 22 ground-level gates.[21]
Runway and taxiways
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The airport is at an elevation of 52 metres (171 ft) above mean sea level.[6][7] It has a single two-mile asphalt paved runway: 09/27 measuring 11,000 by 150 feet (3,353 m × 46 m).[4] The airport has a single east-westerly runway, connected by five taxiway intersections with the aircraft parking area which is adjacent to the main terminals. As a result of the tradewinds that blow from the Atlantic Ocean across Barbados from the east, planes usually land and take-off in an easterly direction. This results in a typical flight path for arriving aircraft along the west coast of Barbados, while departing flights usually fly along the east coast. On relatively rare but not uncommon occurrences, some weather disturbances, such as passing hurricanes or tropical systems, may cause planes to take off or land in a westerly direction such as on 29 August 2010.[22]
TBPB is equipped with VOR/DME[23] and NDB.[24] The airport's operating hours are 24-hours.[25]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Barbados:
Cargo
Besides the arrivals and departures terminals, Grantley Adams International Airport included provisions for a new cargo building in the 2000–06 expansion project. The cargo needs include timely postal services in addition to airline support. The cargo facility is located on the western end of the airport next to the new arrivals building.
Statistics
| Passengers | Change from previous year | Aircraft operations | Change from previous year | Cargo (metric tons) |
Change from previous year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2,165,125 |  0.68% |
38,986 | N.D. | 19,479 | N.D. |
| 2009 | 1,939,059 |  10.44% |
34,454 | 11.62% |
21,098 | 8.31% |
| 2010 | 1,995,167 | 2.89% |
35,378 | 2.68% |
22,335 | 5.86% |
| 2011 | 2,074,654 | 3.98% |
35,452 | 0.21% |
22,720 | 1.72% |
| 2012 | 1,967,571 | 5.16% |
34,476 | 2.75% |
22,322 | 1.75% |
| 2013 | 1,845,430 | 6.21% |
31,670 | 8.14% |
21,567 | 3.38% |
| 2014 | 1,858,176 | 0.69% |
30,247 | 4.49% |
18,852 | 12.59% |
| Source: Airports Council International. World Airport Traffic Reports (2009,[29] 2011,[30] 2012,[31] 2013,[32] 2014[33]) | ||||||
Other facilities
The head office of the Barbados Civil Aviation Department is on the airport property.[34] In addition Barbados Meteorological Services[35]
Incidents and accidents
- On 6 October 1976, Cubana Flight 455 was bombed and crashed off the coast of Barbados[1] in a terrorist attack by suspected CIA operatives[36] shortly after the plane took off from Barbados. The plane had landed in Barbados and was en route to Havana, Cuba by Kingston, Jamaica. Persons linked to the attack and said to be hired by Luis Posada Carriles had de-planed in Barbados and made plans to fly out of the country a short time later on an alternate flight.[37][38]
- On 21 March 1981 a Caribbean Airways McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-30 operating a scheduled service from Barbados to London Gatwick suffered tyreburst on takeoff from GAIA, as a result of hitting an uneven patch on the runway. This caused most overhead lockers to open. Rather than returning to Barbados, the flight deck crew decided to continue to London Gatwick. Due to the flight's early arrival over the UK, ATC instructed the flight deck crew to hold for 25 minutes, following which the aircraft landed safely at Gatwick. There were no injuries among the 340 passengers. According to an airline spokesman, the hot rubber from the burst tyres had caused wiring short-circuits. These in turn had affected some flightdeck instruments.[39]
- In 2010, during the heightened traffic frequency of the tourist season (November through April), a number of chartered airlines and regularly scheduled carriers reported a series of 'bird strikes' on takeoff. These were not serious enough to cause any damage to the aircraft and they continued on to their destinations. After brief investigations, the 'birds' turned out to be small Vesper bats, native to Barbados.
Concorde Museum
To the east of the main Grantley Adams Airport is the 8,534 m2 (91,860 sq ft) site of the British Airways Concorde Museum on the old Spencers Plantation. The museum is part of the new expanded airport grounds. British Airways had granted the Government of Barbados one of their retired Concorde aircraft and BAC/SNIAS Concorde 212 G-BOAE is now on permanent display in a dedicated hall. The Q2 company had entered a museum and exhibition facility design to the Government of Barbados for this new permanent housing of the aircraft. The 'Concorde Experience' has zones providing information on the aircraft.
On 2 November 1977 G-BOAE was the same aircraft that Queen Elizabeth II traveled flying from GAIA to London Heathrow, England. That occasion was the first visit by Concorde to Barbados.[40]
"Alpha Echo" was the last Concorde to fly supersonic on 17 November 2003, on its delivery flight to Barbados.[41]
Awards
- 2002, 2003, 2004 – The "Caribbean's Leading Airport" – by the World Travel Awards[42]
- In 2010 Airport Council International (ACI) recognised the airport as one of the best facilities in the region for service excellence. Under the section Caribbean and Latin America, Grantley was ranked as third following: Guayaqui (GYE), Ecuador and Cancun (CUN), Mexico, respectively.[43][44]
See also
Notes
- Resources for this airport:
- 1. ^ Accident history for BGI at Aviation Safety Network
- 2. ^ Airport Information and Live Flight Tracker for TBPB at FlightAware
- 3. ^ Aeronautical chart for BGI at SkyVector
- 4. ^ Recent weather observations for TBPB at NOAA/NWS
- 5. ^ Current weather for TBPB at NOAA/NWS
- 6. ^ Airport information for TBPB at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- 7. ^ Airport information for TBPB/BGI at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
References
- ↑ Weather at the Grantley Adams Airport, WeatherCast UK
- ↑ Station Information Listing, NOAA
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Airport information for TBPB from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
- ↑ Airport information for BGI at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Photo: Caribbean Airways, Airliners.net
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- ↑ General Information >Plant and Operations, GAIA Inc.
- ↑ Düsseldorf Airport schedule
- ↑ Munich Airport schedule
- ↑ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/jetblues-newest-barbados-route-south-140109042.html;_ylt=AwrC0CZ_0kJWGEUAbgrQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTByOHZyb21tBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--
- ↑ Airport Council International's 2009 World Airport Traffic Report
- ↑ Airport Council International's 2011 World Airport Traffic Report
- ↑ Airport Council International's 2012 World Airport Traffic Report
- ↑ Airport Council International's 2013 World Airport Traffic Report
- ↑ Airport Council International's 2014 World Airport Traffic Report
- ↑ "PERSONNEL LICENSING ADVISORY CIRCULAR BCAD Document PLAC-06." Barbados Civil Aviation Department. 3 of 13. Retrieved on 13 January 2011. "This PLAC can be purchased from the Barbados Civil Aviation Department, Grantley Adams International Airport, Christ Church, Barbados or downloaded from the BCAD website at<http://www.bcad.gov.bb>."
- ↑ Barbados Meteorological Services, About
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Further reading
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- Airport Gets Passing Grade – 10 October 2006: Barbados Daily Nation News Paper
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External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
