- V. C. Bird International Airport
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V. C. Bird International Airport IATA: ANU – ICAO: TAPA Summary Airport type Public Operator Antigua and Barbuda Millennium Airport Corporation Location St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda Hub for Elevation AMSL 62 ft / 19 m Coordinates 17°08′12″N 061°47′35″W / 17.13667°N 61.79306°WCoordinates: 17°08′12″N 061°47′35″W / 17.13667°N 61.79306°W Map Location in Antigua
TAPARunways Direction Length Surface m ft 07/25 2,744 9,003 Asphalt Source: DAFIF[1][2] V. C. Bird International Airport (IATA: ANU, ICAO: TAPA) is located on the island of Antigua, 8 km (5.0 mi) northeast of St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.
Contents
History
The airport originally was operated by the United States Army Air Force. It closed in 1949 as Coolidge Air Force Base and upon the closure it became a civil airport. It was known as Coolidge International Airport until 1985, when it was named in honor of Sir Vere Cornwall Bird (1910–1999), the first prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda.
In December 2005, the Antigua and Barbuda Millennium Airport Corporation announced it would invite tenders to construct the first phase of a new passenger terminal designed to serve the airport for 30 years.
Airlines and destinations
Airlines Destinations Air Canada Toronto-Pearson
Seasonal: Montreal-TrudeauAir Transat Seasonal: Montreal-Trudeau [begins December 18], Toronto-Pearson [begins December 24] American Airlines Miami
Seasonal: New York-JFKAmerican Eagle San Juan Blue Panorama Airlines Seasonal: Milan-Malpensa British Airways London-Gatwick, Saint Kitts BVI Airways Tortola Caribbean Airlines Kingston, Port of Spain Condor Seasonal: Frankfurt Continental Airlines Newark Delta Air Lines Seasonal: Atlanta, New York-JFK FlyMontserrat Montserrat LIAT Anguilla, Barbados, Dominica, Georgetown-Cheddi Jagan, Grenada, Nevis, Pointe-à-Pitre, Port of Spain, Saint Croix, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, San Juan, Santo Domingo-Las Américas, Sint Maarten, Tortola REDjet Georgetown-Cheddi Jagan [begins November 22] US Airways Seasonal: Charlotte Virgin Atlantic Airways London-Gatwick Charter
Airlines Destinations Anguilla Air Services Anguilla CanJet Seasonal: Montreal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson Caribbean Helicopters Montserrat, Nevis, Saint Kitts FlyMontserrat Montserrat Neos Seasonal: Milan-Malpensa [begins December 19] St Barth Commuter Saint Barthélemy Sunwing Airlines Seasonal: Toronto-Pearson Trans Anguilla Air Anguilla Cargo carriers
Airlines Destinations Air Transport International Melbourne (FL) Ameriflight San Juan Amerijet International Dominica, Miami, Santiago de los Caballeros, Sint Maarten DHL Aviation Brussels, Miami, San Juan, Sint Maarten FedEx Express Memphis, Miami, Newark, San Juan Mountain Air Cargo San Juan Incidents
- On 17 September 1965, Pan Am Flight 292, a Boeing 707-121B en route from Fort de France, Martinique, to St. John's struck Chances Peak on Montserrat, an island to the southwest of Antigua, killing all 30 aboard. The pilot mistakenly believed he was descending into Antigua. As a result, a VHF omnirange (VOR) transmitter was installed at the St. John's airport.
- On May 10, 2004, a LIAT de Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 flight made an emergency landing after one of its wheels fell off shortly after takeoff. The flight operated by the Antigua-based airline had departed from St. Maarten en route to St. Kitts when one of its wheels reportedly fell off. The Dash 8-311 turboprop was diverted to Antigua and was able to land safely on its three remaining wheels, without causing damage to the aircraft. None of the 24 passengers and three crew members were injured. The airline has launched an investigation into the incident.
- On November 12, 2008, a LIAT de Havilland Canada DHC-8-311 circled around V. C. Bird International Airport in Antigua following reports of landing gear malfunction. The de Haviland Dash 8 -311 aircraft should have landed at the Robert Bradshaw International Airport in St Kitts, but was diverted to Antigua because of the problem. It turned out that the landing gear was in order, but the indicators in the cockpit gave a reading that there was a fault. Firefighters, medical personnel and police were on alert but, after clearance, the aircraft landed safely with its 42 passengers and three crew members.
- On 18 June 2009, a Rhoades cargo plane #2 engine caught fire while taxiing to the runway. The incident forced the temporary closure of the airport and delay of several aircraft. LIAT planes had to hold before they could land or take off, but there were no flight cancellations. There were two persons on board the Rhoades plane, the captain and first officer, both of whom were unhurt. The aircraft taxied on its own engines back to runway 10 where it underwent inspections and necessary repairs.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.- ^ Airport information for TAPA at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- ^ Airport information for ANU / TAPA at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
External links
- V.C. Bird International Airport: Master Plan Report (PDF, 3.6 mb)
- Current weather for TAPA at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for ANU / TAPA at Aviation Safety Network
USAAF Sixth Air Force in World War IIPreviously: Panama Canal Air Force (1940-1941); Caribbean Air Force (1941-1942)Airfields Caribbean Coolidge (Antigua) · Dakota (Aruba) · Batista (Cuba) · Camaguey (Cuba) · Hato (Curacao) · Vernam (Jamaica) · Arecibo (Puerto Rico) · Borinquen (Puerto Rico) · Losey (Puerto Rico) · Benedict (Saint Croix) · Beane (Saint Lucia) · St. Thomas Airport (Saint Thomas) · Carlsen (Trinidad) · Piarco Airport (Trinidad) · Waller (Trinidad)Canal Zone Panama Aguadulce · Anton · Calzada Larga · Chame · David · La Chorrera · Madden · Patilla Point · Pocri · Rio HatoCentral and South
America
Units Commands VI Bomber Command · VI Fighter Command · XXVI Fighter Command · XXXVI Fighter Command · VI Air Force Service · Antilles Air CommandGroups Fighter Bomber Reconnaissance Squadrons Categories:- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces
- Airports in Antigua and Barbuda
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